Dragon Age: Dalish Elf Origin
by Aeden Hale
Summary: The threat of the Darkspawn is rising throughout Ferelden. The Grey Wardens fell in Ostagar leaving only two survivors. Sanile, a young Dalish woman, and her companion, Alistair, must unite Ferelden to extinguish the Blight. Sanile OC /Alistair
1. Origins

Author's Note-I'm not dead, I promise. I know that you so don't want a new story from me until I finish some of my other ones, but I just got bit with the Dragon Age bug. As I've said on my authors' page, I've thrown myself into my writing lately and I came up with this. If you don't like it, I'll remove it. If you do like it, I'll keep updating. I think though, this time, I'm going to update according to reviews. I'll let you know at the end of the chapter. So...read on. Oh yeah, if anyone is curious on how to say the main character's name, it's Sanile...pronounced San-ee-lay.

**Disclaimer : All standard disclaimers apply. Dragon Age and all of its characters belong to Bioware and EA Games. I do own my original characters Sanile and Elissa.**

Title: Dragon Age: Dalish Elf Origin

Series: Dragon Age-Origins

Genre: Angst/Action/Romance

Pairings: Sanile(OC)/Alistair, Elissa(OC)/Zevran

The late morning sun shown through the leaves of the high-hanging trees. Spring was fleeting as the vegetation grew in vibrant hues. Animals moved about with their young as the birds sang merrily in the branches. The forest's children had been awake and moving for several hours to start the tasks at hand for the day. The Dalish were a proud people that kept to themselves. Humans did not acknowledge them and when they did, they weren't looked highly upon. Because the Dalish were a wandering people, they paid little mind to the humans, for they were never in the same place for too long.

It happened that on this very morning, two of the young elves from the nearby village were moving silently through the trees. Since they spent most of their time hunting, it was nothing strange to find them walking with sure feet through the forest. The game had been disturbed by another source, meaning that their prey would be a bit bigger; humans.

"You know, this is all their fault." The young man said irritably as he moved along.

The young woman sighed. "Why do you hate the shem so much, Tamlen? It's not that they've done anything to us in recent years."

Tamlen, the young male elf, shook his brunette head. "You clearly don't pay attention to Paivel's stories. Humans were the reason that we don't have a homeland, Sanile."

"I do listen to Paivel's tales. I just don't see how carrying the grudges of our ancestors is benefitting us. We could learn from the humans. They could learn from us."

Tamlen stopped and gazed at his childhood friend. The woman's pale gold hair was pulled back into twin plaited buns that rested on the back of her head. Brilliant blue eyes were studying him curiously as he stared squarely at the butterfly-like tattoo, or the art of blood writing among the Dalish, imprinted on her forehead and trailed down to the tip of her nose. She looked as she always had, but her mindset had changed somewhat recently.

"You talk like you can trust a shem. You're daft is what you are. Why do I even listen to you sometimes?" he snorted.

"Well, you listen to me because I've got more brains than you and you've got just a little more brawn. Do you not recall that time when I suggested that we decided to frighten the halla to worm our way out of chores. " Sanile told him indignantly.

"I recall." Tamlen groaned, shaking his head. "Marin was furious."

Sanile was about to respond when Tamlen held out his arm, indicating her to stop once again. She gave him a curious look as his ears pricked at the sound of rustling brush up ahead. Slowly reaching behind him, he grabbed his bow and notched an arrow against its string. Sanile copied his actions as the two began to creep through the brush. The shuffling got significantly louder as they drew closer to the creature that was disturbing the forest. A low growl sounded from Tamlen as he spotted the cause of the disturbance. Three humans were racing towards them. Tamlen leapt from the brush, Sanile following after him with their bows drawn.

The humans slid to a stop as they encountered the two elves. Fear twisted their features upon seeing weapons drawn at their arrival. The bravest of the three looked to the other two, though he was still shaking, and tried to avoid a conflict. Despite this effort, the young male elf stared them down with disgust.

"What are you doing here, shemlen(1)? Don't you realize that you are trespassing?"

The brave one fought to control his trembling body. "Forgive us! We meant no harm! There was a demon! It chased us!"

Sanile sent a glare to her friend before he had a chance to speak, her arm tense from holding back the bow string. "Demon? Where did you see such a thing?"

"Some ruins nearby! The-there was a cave!"

"I know of no such ruins." Tamlen said flatly. "If you had found such a place, then you'd obviously been there looting. Give me a reason not to kill you."

"Tamlen!" Sanile hissed. "What are you doing?"

The men before them were shaking as they moved closer to one another. They were immobilized by their fear. "Please! D-don't hurt us! The village will turn against you if you kill us!"

The golden-headed elf gave them a pleading look. "Shue shah tauthau toetoi thuet."(2)

"Please!"

"I'm sure that they wouldn't mind just one of you returning." Tamlen mused, picking up on the hint his friend was giving him.

"Tamlen, please let them go. They haven't hurt us and they're unarmed. They've done nothing wrong."

The young male elf sighed as he lowered his bow and rolled his eyes. "Consider yourselves lucky that my clan sister has a bleeding heart. Go now and don't return."

"T-thank you!" the humans stuttered as they took off running through the trees as fast as their legs could carry them. Within a few moments, they could no longer be seen.

The brunette turned to look at Sanile as he lowered his bow. The blonde would not look at him as she replaced her weapon on her back. "Abelas(3), Tamlen. I couldn't let you kill them for no reason."

"Their being here wasn't a good enough one?" he asked with a snap. "Anyway, I wonder what ruins they were talking about. I know where the cave is of which they speak, but there have never been any ruins that I know of."

"Perhaps we should ask the Keeper then. She might know what those shemlen were talking about." She suggested.

Tamlen shook his head. "We wouldn't be allowed to explore them. Didn't you see what they dropped? Some sort pottery. Can you read the script there?"

Sanile's brow furrowed as she attempted to make sense of the writing. After a few seconds of study, she turned to her companion for the answer. "I'm assuming you can since I can't make it out."

"It's elvish writing, but very old. I don't understand some of the words. You see, this is why we should look around the ruins to see if those shem were telling the truth."

After a moment or two of contemplation, Sanile's resolve finally waivered and she let out a sigh. "Fine. If that is what you wish, then we will go investigate. The only way I'll go, however, is if we tell the Keeper what we've discovered once we returned."

"Fine! Let's go!"

The two elves took off through the trees as quickly and quietly as they could. It was a possibility that the humans had angered something in the cave. The Keeper had always told them that spirits could take on physical form when angered or provoked. There was a high chance that something like that had taken place. Sanile kept her ears open and what had her most uneasy was the fact that since they'd moved deeper into the forest, all noise had ceased. Silence hung thick in the trees and even the wind had ceased to blow. Tamlen, however, seemed unperturbed by this and continued on his way.

~*~

Shaking the thick black substance from his blade, he moved to the edge of the ridge and cringed inwardly at the sight that lay before him. Down among the trees , hundreds, perhaps thousands, of them lay in wait for their next move. The horde. All of them just like the creature he just slew. His brow furrowed in thought as he examined their movement. The horde would reach Ostagar in less than a week. That made his task all the more urgent.

Having heard rumors of a strange relic to the North, Duncan had informed his other men of his intentions, mainly his junior officer, and set off in search of it. It was a possibility that the Darkspawn were using the relic as a sort of gateway, which would explain their numbers. That had been several days ago. He had now almost reached the forests of the Southwestern Bannorn that was about two or three days travel from Lake Calenhad. Rumors had drifted to his ears of a Dalish clan who was currently residing there. Perhaps the elves knew of the relic he was seeking.

The Dalish weren't usually friendly toward humans, but Duncan knew that he must try. He'd heard that Keeper, Marethari, was currently in possession of several promising young warriors. From the news he'd been able to gather, this particular clan had undergone hardship in the past, including a raid made by humans during a coming of age ceremony. The humans killed all but four of the young elves. In response to this, the clan had become reclusive and hateful toward humans. Mistrust was to be expected. Duncan had also come this far out in hopes of finding new recruits for the Grey Wardens. These four that had escaped death were excellent candidates for the Joining.

He only hoped that Alistair would help with the new recruits. Two were already awaiting his return in Ostagar. King Calen was preparing a battle against the Darkspawn that Ferelden had never seen the likes of in four hundred years. The king had sent word to the other Grey Wardens in Orlais and Highever for aid in the upcoming battle. There was no promise, however, that they would arrive in time. Teryn Logaine was against any help that the Orlesians might offer. Being the king's chief advisor, Logaine was in charge of all strategies. He didn't care to rely on the Grey Wardens in combat, but would not dare disobey the king.

Sighing, Duncan came to the edge of the forest. Staring into its depths, he saw only foliage after a certain point. The Dalish would be well hidden and, perhaps, if he couldn't find them first, he'd search for the relic he'd heard tale of. His options weren't the best ones, but time was running out and there was more to be done at present. Ostagar was about to make the first stand against the Blight.

~*~

Something felt off about this part of the forest. As they drew closer to their destination, her companion picked up his stride a bit more. His eager attitude was going to get him into trouble one day and she knew it. Sanile tried to ignore the inkling of warning that was poking at the back of her mind. Something was not right, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She, instead, focused on the forest around her. The female elf warrior knew that her clan didn't stay in one place for too long, but she'd come to rather like this place. It was quiet and quite abundant in the resources they used, not to mention that there was a safe distance between them and the humans. Not that she didn't like to sneak off to watch them sometimes, because she did. They were interesting.

Her companion stopped suddenly in front of her, causing Sanile to crash into him and smash her nose into the back of his neck. Cursing softly, the fair-haired elf held onto her smarting nose as she sent a glare to Tamlen. The male elf warrior grinned sheepishly at her as she moved to his side. Before them lay the cave's mouth staring back at them like a toothy black maw. The rough gray stone made a swift transition to smooth and carved. Sanile fought her curiosity. She had an ill feeling and it did not bode well with her. Tamlen, on the other hand, didn't seem to have this same feeling and moved to descend the stairs before them. He paused and looked back when she didn't follow him.

"What are you waiting for, Sanile? Let's go. I want to look around this place. There could be a lot of our history in here."

Sanile hesitated. "Don't you have a bad feeling about this, Tamlen? I mean, isn't something in the back of your mind telling you that we shouldn't go in here?"

The brunette turned around fully to face her. "No, I don't. What are you talking about? You can go back and squeal to the Keeper if you wish, you big baby. You're acting like a shem."

The blonde pouted at this response. Sighing, she went against her better judgment and followed him into the cave. "I have a feeling that I'm going to regret this."

Sallow light drifted through holes in the ceiling, dimly lighting the ruins' interior. Piles of rubble and broken stone littered the floor. The structure had begun to decay due to time and erosion. Tree roots and vines had also invaded the place. There was no way that this place was anywhere near being a recent development. Tamlen moved ahead of her, the big brother instinct taking control as he kept his hands poised and ready to draw his weapon. Sanile, being well taught in the skills of detecting and disarming traps, grabbed hold of his tunic and moved ahead of him to disarm a pressure switch. Whoever had built this place, they didn't want anyone entering.

Tamlen nodded to her before continuing on. As they entered a larger chamber, the room was covered in spider web and cocoons. The female elf, quite the adept rogue, set to work disarming several more traps. Sanile barely had time to look up to see an unusually large spider springing toward her. Drawing her dual knives, the creature was quickly slain. Tamlen was also busy with his own creature. Once all of the spiders had been disposed of, Sanile shook the blood from her blades and returned them to their sheathes.

"Do you believe me now?" she asked, sounding slightly edgy. "We should go back now while we still can."

"We're almost there, Lethallin(4). Why turn back now? We're almost to the center of the ruins. I promise that we'll turn around as soon as we reach the center." Tamlen told her, his expression softening when he sensed her unease.

Sanile sighed. "Fine, but just know that I think we should go back. Something feels…wrong."

"You're just jittery. You'll be fine. I'll make sure nothing happens to you."

Tamlen was already moving deeper into the corridors and Sanile had no choice but to follow him. She had no desire to be left alone in this place. The sudden crunch under her foot caused her to look down. Slowly stepping off the thing, she was afraid to look down, suddenly. When her foot had been removed, Sanile felt her blood run cold as she saw the shattered shin bone of a corpse. People had died in this place. The male warrior had moved farther ahead of her, either not seeing the skeletons or not caring. She made a dash for him and spotted a trap a second too late.

"Tamlen! Don't step—"

A poison burst forth from the circular rune beneath the other elf's foot. The both of them were knocked backward. Sanile groaned as she shook her head and picked herself up off of the stone floor, coughing at the green-tinted dust that hung in the air. As she moved to check on Tamlen, she heard a rattling noise. The bones that had been laying on the floor moments ago were pulling themselves together and standing up. Not only that, they had weapons.

"What manner of dark magic is this?" the brunette asked in a hushed, nervous voice.

"I don't know, but we'd better slay them before we're wounded."

Sanile's dual knives flashed in the dim light as she made swiping arcs with her weapons. The skeleton that was pressing her made a sloppy but effective swipe with its sword. She blocked the attack with one of her daggers and made an arc with the other. Once both blades had connected, the skull popped off and rolled across the floor. The blonde stood for a moment trying to calm her racing heart. Most of the things she'd done battle with hadn't been smart enough to formulate battle strategies. They hadn't had weapons either. Tamlen panted as the remaining undead were dispatched. Something seemed to catch his eye as he rushed past her.

A statue with a large wing span stood before him and was under heavy scrutiny. Sanile remembered seeing something of similar make in one of the camps of the other Dalish clans. Her blood brother stopped in front of the large piece of stone, looking over it carefully. A gleam appeared in his eyes as he recognized the thing standing before them.

"Sanile, do you know what this is?" he asked in awe.

"It looks familiar, but, alas brother, I don't recognize it." She replied shaking her head.

Tamlen ran his fingers over the statue in almost a loving manner. "Well, sister, this is a likeness of one of the Dalish elder gods. This had to have been built during the time of Arlathan. What do you know of the tale?"

Sanile cocked her head to the side in thought. Some of her nervousness had dissipated with the change of subject matter. "I don't know an awful lot. I know that even our people are not certain exactly how Arlathan fell."

"That's correct. We had a homeland in those days called Elvhenan and Arlathan was its heart. Our people fled in fear of the Tevinter Empire. Those who were not lucky enough to escape were captured as slaves. That's what the legend of lost immortality claims, anyhow." The young man stated.

"You've been visiting Hahren Paivel again, haven't you?" the young woman asked, her tone less than amused.

"What? Do you not appreciate the history of our people?"

"I appreciate it." Sanile replied. "I just think that we should find what you're looking for and leave. This place is creepy."

Tamlen chuckled softly as he rested a hand on the younger woman's head, patting it affectionately. "You worry too much, but I agree. Keeper Marethari will be concerned if we aren't back at a reasonable hour."

Both of the young elves continued the last few feet to the central chamber of the ruins. They paused only a moment or two before the closed door to exchange wary gazes. Sanile moved to push it open only to have Tamlen hold his arm out protectively and shake his head. The brunette was about to push open the door when his friend grabbed his arm quickly. He sent her a questioning look.

"Tamlen, I've got a really bad feeling about this. Please, don't open that door. Let's just get out of here." Sanile pleaded, her voice wavering with emotion.

The young male elf's expression practically broke as he turned to look at Sanile. Fear shown in her eyes as they held a glassy look to them; tears. Tamlen sighed as he moved away from the door momentarily. He pulled her into his side, kissing her temple gently. "I do not know what has awoken such fear in you, but I promise we will be safe, sister."

Sanile nodded slowly as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I will believe you, brother. You must promise me that we will both come out of this alive."

"We will, I promise. Now let's get going so we can leave."

Tamlen pushed the door open slowly and moved into the quiet room, Sanile joining him immediately. A loud roar caused both of them to give a startled jump. What came lumbering toward them resembled a bear. There was a madness in his eyes that glowed as he charged at the two elves. Spines protruded from various places in the creature's hide. Tamlen was the first to recover and draw his sword with Sanile not too far behind. Both the elves jumped at the bear with desperate fury. Their blades flew through the air making graceful but deadly arcs as they came into contact with the creature's flesh. Blood and pained cries rose into the silence. The bear made one last cry of death as it fell forward and did not move again. Weapons were sheathed as Tamlen took a step back.

"What in the world was that thing?" he breathed. His eyes then caught something else and locked with it.

"Could this be one of the Darkspawn Keeper Marethari told us about?" Sanile asked before she saw Tamlen moving further into the chamber.

Her question went unanswered as her eyes fell on the large mirror that Tamlen was moving closer to. He stopped momentarily to look at her before his gaze returned to the smooth glass surface. To his eye, a ripple travelled over the mirror's surface, causing him to look closer. Things were going on beneath its surface. There was another world on the other side of that mirror. The darkness that dwelled within it could mean that this place was located somewhere beneath the world.

"Something moved within the mirror. I saw another place. It was deep underground. "

"I think we should leave, Tamlen. There's something…evil about that mirror. Come on, let's go." Sanile urged, grabbing his arm and pulling toward the door.

Tamlen pulled his arm away as he looked back to the mirror. "There it is again!" he professed. "Don't you believe me? It's changing; calling me."

Sanile's face held a look of distress as Tamlen moved toward the mirror, his fingers outstretched toward the glass. "Tamlen, please come away from that thing. Don't touch it." Tamlen didn't seem to hear her as his fingers hovered inches above the glass. "Don't touch it!" she screamed as she made a lunge for her friend.

"It saw me! Help me, sister!"

Her warning came too late as her brother's fingers came in contact with the glass. The mirror released a bright flash of white light. Sanile was flung backward several feet by some unknown force and landed at least ten feet from the mirror. Unimaginable pain wracked her body as she squeezed her eyes closed, gasping for breath. She murmured her blood brother's name as if looking for him. When Sanile managed to pull her eyes open for a moment with great effort, everything seemed to be trapped in blurry haze. A face lingered over hers and she was only able to catch a glimpse of it before her eyes slid closed once again.

"…you all right? Can you hear me? Are you all right?"

~*~

When he found the young woman, he wasn't sure whether it was because of her misfortune or his luck. The young Dalish woman was laying on the ground in front of the cave barely conscious. If there was any hope in finding the Dalish, it would be this woman. Kneeling down to examine her, Duncan could see that this woman was ill. Touching her skin, she was burning up. The woman's eyelids were barely open as he bent over to examine her more closely. This looked like the effects of the Taint. She was barely conscious.

"Are you all right?" Duncan asked. "Can you hear me? Are you all right?"

There was no response, not that he'd expected one. One thing was for certain, however. If he did not get the elf to someone soon, she wouldn't survive. Duncan hoisted the Dalish woman over his shoulder and rose to his feet. It would take some doing, but he had to find the clan. The Grey Warden moved as quickly through the forest as his new burden would allow. She couldn't have travelled too far on her own. Her time was running out.

His efforts proved fruitful as he spotted several aravels on the edge of the camp. Several different signals sounded at his approach, alerting the others to the presence of a human. It was not a minute later that six Dalish archers surrounded him with arrows knocked and bow strings pulled taught. They were staring coldly at him, suspicions aroused.

"Why have you come here, shem?" one of them bit out harshly.

"I have come to speak with Keeper Marethari. I am Duncan of the Grey Wardens. I have found one of your kin in the forest." He explained, motioning to the woman slung over his shoulder.

"How do we know that you were not the one to put her in such a condition?" a young male asked as he took a step forward. "What of her companion?"

"Companion?" Duncan questioned. "When I came upon her, she was alone and burning with fever. She has been made ill by the Taint. Your keeper is the only one who can help her."

"The treacherous words you speak are poison to my ears, shem." The same hunter snapped, preparing to release the bowstring in his fingers.

"That is enough, Fenarel." Came a voice from behind them. "Stand down, hunters. Sanile is indeed alive. Tell me, Grey Warden, what of Tamlen?"

Duncan sighed as he shifted Sanile off of his shoulder into Fenarel's arms, who had approached him carefully to take his burden. "It is as I told your hunters, Keeper. I found the young woman alone and barely conscious in front of a cave in the forest. I believe that she has been Tainted."

Keeper Marethari looked down at the young woman in Fenarel's arms as she looked back to Duncan. "I will trust your word, Duncan. Fenarel, please take Sanile to my tent. I have much work to do. Thank you, Grey Warden, for saving one of our young. You are welcome to stay in our camp and trade with Master Illen if you need supplies."

The Grey Warden nodded as the elves moved away from him and further into their camp. He'd managed to find the Dalish and the relic wasn't far off. Now all that was left for him to do was to send a message to the Alistair and the Grey Wardens in Ostagar.

~*~

Marethari placed a cool wet rag on the young woman's forehead in an attempt to bring down her raging fever. Sanile had yet to regain consciousness and she'd been working through the night with the old magic to subdue the Taint that had crept into her body. The Keeper tried to block out the groans of pain and the expressions of fear that crossed the young elf's face every now and again. The older woman had sent her apprentice, Merrill, in search of Elf Root to make into a poultice so, perhaps, the fever could be battled. Her supply was running a bit low.

Fenarel had not left the outside of her tent in hours. Marethari could understand his worry. One of his friends was fighting for their life and the other was still missing. There was a shadow of doubt in the Keeper's heart that they would not find Tamlen. The Grey Warden had set up his own tent on the edge of the camp. Duncan had visited Sanile while she was in her care, asking about the possibility of Darkspawn be the cause of the illness. Marethari had kindly told him that they'd find out once the young woman awoke. Now was not the time for questions.

The Keeper absentmindedly dipped the cloth back into the bowl of water she had present. How had it come to this? The four fledglings that had survived the human raid had grown to adulthood. One was now fighting a battle against the Taint of the Darkspawn and the other was missing with little hope of being found. She had watched these children grow up. She had watched them learn all that they knew. She'd even had a hand in teaching them. Marethari bowed her head in contemplation, or maybe it was prayer, to beg the Creator to watch over her fledglings in the days to come. She had a feeling deep inside of her that this one would be leaving the clan soon.

Ashalle was at her wits' end. The woman's surrogate daughter was now laying unconscious with little or no chance of ever awakening. Since Sanile's mother had disappeared into the forest, Ashalle was the only mother that she'd known. Sanile's father had once been the Keeper of their clan, but had been killed before she was born. The poor thing now whimpered and groaned, no doubt dreaming. Marethari was sure that she did not wish to see what pictures the poison spun in her mind. There was nothing good about them. A head popped into the tent before the rest of the person followed.

"Ah, Merrill. You've returned. Thank the Creator, I was thinking that you might've encountered some trouble."

The dark-haired elf shook her head as she deposited the Elf Root by the Keeper. "No, Keeper. I was having a little trouble finding the Elf Root. The hunters still haven't found a trace of Tamlen. They've spread out far and wide, but it's as if he just vanished."

"It pains my heart to think that one of you children has come to ill fortune. You, Tamlen, Sanile, and Fenarel were the only ones to survive that raid six years ago at the coming of age ceremony. I could not bear it if I lost one of you. You four have become quite dear to me." Marethari said in dismay.

The night had slipped off into the wee hours of the morning, resulting in the hunting parties to stop their search for the night. Merrill had agreed to keep watch at the edge of the camp in case Tamlen were to venture back on his own. It was then that the Keeper touched Sanile's skin and did not retract her hand at the heated sensation that came in contact with her fingertips. Sanile's fever had broken. Marethari gave a sigh of relief. The worst was over and she would awaken. Now was the time to go inform Ashalle of the young woman's condition. She knew that the other woman would be awake.

As the Keeper took leave of her tent, she practically ran into Fenarel. He must have come straight here upon his return from the hunters' search. The grim look on his face showed her that he must've been expecting the worse of Sanile's condition. Marethari gave him a weary smile.

"How is she, Keeper?" Fenarel asked, his tone stating that his hopes weren't high.

"I believe that the worst is over, Da'len(5). Sanile's fever has broken and now she's sleeping. I think it best that we let her do so."

Fenarel nodded. "Is there anything that I can do, Keeper Marethari?"

After a moment or two of thought, the older woman nodded. "If you would, Fenarel, please move Sanile to her tent. That way she won't be disturbed."

The hunter nodded and entered the Keeper's tent as she moved off into the camp. The interior was dimly lit by several candles. The flickering of the flames lit the pallid complexion of his friend as she lay there asleep among the layers of blankets. Sanile's chest rose and fell gently as she breathed. Fenarel gave a sigh of relief as he moved to push a strand of hair out of her closed eyes.

"You're horrible to give us all such a scare, Lethallin. I couldn't bear it if I were to lose another friend." He murmured to the sleeping woman.

Leaning over, Fenarel scooped the smaller elf into his arms. He paused for a moment or two at the tent's exit. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. There was the slightest inking in the back of his mind that Sanile wouldn't be with them for very much longer. The Grey Warden's coming had been a sign from the Creator that something much bigger was yet to come. Fenarel gently brushed his lips against the tattooed skin of his friend's forehead, his cheeks burning in the process. He then exited the Keeper's tent to take her to her own.

"I wish you pleasant dreams, my friend. The Taint will no doubt try to give you nightmares. I only hope that you awaken soon."

~*~

The first sensation that came to her was pain. There was great pain in her head and fire flew through every muscle and tendon in her body as she attempted to move. An odd sensation began behind her eyes as she pulled her lids open to see if she had, in fact, passed into the Beyond. Strangely enough, the Beyond looked like her own tent. Groaning, Sanile forced herself to sit up, seeing that she was no longer in her tanned leather Dalish armor, but a mid-thigh length cloth gown that her peoples' women wore to bed. The Dalish woman ran her fingers through her loosed hair before moving to replace the gown she wore with her light armor.

Sounds filtered into her tent. It was an ordinary day in her camp. Perhaps the dream of the mirror and Tamlen were all but a nightmare. She stared a one of the tent poles as she absentmindedly pulled her other glove on. If it had been a nightmare, why did her body feel pain? Why had she been permitted to sleep so late into the morning? Pondering on these questions but a moment, Sanile reached up to return her hair to their normal plaited buns. After she'd finished, the elf made her way outside only to be assaulted by Fenarel immediately.

"Thank the Creator! It's good to see you up, Lethallin. For a while, we didn't think you were ever going to wake."

Sanile gave him a puzzled look as she returned the tight embrace. "What do you mean, Fenarel? What has happened?"

The young hunter shook his head. "We were hoping you could tell us. The Grey Warden came to our village with you slung over his shoulder. You were very ill and we were afraid that you wouldn't survive. The Keeper used the old magic and was able to break the sickness. You've been asleep for two days."

"Two days!" Sanile shrieked. "I've been asleep for two days?"

Fenarel winced as he uncovered his ears. "Yes, you have. How do you feel?"

The expression on Sanile's face turned into a serious one. "Worried. Where is Tamlen?"

"We know not, Sanile. We've had search parties looking for him, but haven't found a trace of Tamlen since you were brought back two days ago. I'm sure the Keeper could tell you more. She wished to speak with you when you awoke."

Sanile shook her head slowly, trying to take in all of this information at once. "Keeper Marethari wishes to speak with me? I don't know why. I doubt I could tell her anything she doesn't already know. How long has Tamlen been missing?"

Fenarel shook his head. "Tamlen has been gone since the Grey Warden returned you two days ago."

"A shem brought me back?" the blonde asked.

"Aye, Duncan I believe his name was. You were very sick when he brought you back. You were lucky, Lethallin." The hunter told her. "You may want to go speak with Ashalle. She's been very worried about you. I don't think she's slept in days."

"I'll go see her right away. I know where I can find her."

Nodding farewell to her friend, she made her way to the far side of the camp. Descending the sloped path, Sanile made her way toward the large fire at the bottom. Several hunters were posted there. Sanile scanned the area around the fire for the figure that she was looking for. She very quickly found her wearing a yellow dress. Ashalle was staring deeply into the flames, not paying attention to what was occurring around her. Never before had she noticed how deep the lines on Ashalle's face had become.

She approached her surrogate mother slowly, almost afraid of her reaction. When Ashalle caught sight of her, the older woman's face softened. Her dark brown eyes filled with tears as she watched the younger woman come to stand in front of her. Without saying a word, Ashalle pulled Sanile into her arms and hugged her fiercely. The younger of the two humored her and allowed such an act.

"Thank the Creator that you still live, Da'len. I have not slept well on your account. Why must you always worried me so?" Ashalle asked, her voice holding a mild scolding tone.

"Abelas, Ashalle. I should've talked Tamlen out of wanting to explore those ruins. Then this would've never happened." Sanile said, looking away. "Abelas."

Ashalle continued to hold her by her thin but sturdy shoulders. Gazing at the blonde, she knew that she was blaming herself. The older woman gave her a light shake as if to wake her up from whatever trance she was entering. "Don't you dare say that, Sanile. In all of your four and twenty years, I have never blamed you for anything significant that has happened. You know this. Do you think others will blame you?"

Sanile nodded her head as she turned to gaze at the fire, escaping her surrogate mother's grip for a bit. "I know they will, because I do. I blame myself for what happened to him, Ashalle. Tamlen would've been back here and safe had it not been for me giving into his desires. I failed Tamlen he will forever curse me from his place in the Beyond, if he is even there. He could be hurt somewhere in the forest because of me."

"Da'len, sometimes things happen for a reason. Sometimes things make you stronger. I know that there's not much else that could make you stronger. Your life has been shrouded, you see. You do not know what became of your parents. I will not go into great detail, but I will tell you that your father died before you were born. He used to be the Keeper of our clan. Your mother died shortly after you were born. She was heartbroken by your father's death. You were then left in my care. Paivel helped at bit."

The younger Dalish woman nodded slowly, taking in this new information. A smirk slowly curled her lips. "So this little secret romance between you and Hahren Paivel has gone on for more than twenty years?"

The older Dalish woman's mouth dropped open and her cheeks turned red. "There is no romance between Paivel and I!" she protested loudly. "Where would get such an idea, girl?"

"I've seen the way you look at him, Ashalle. The two of you may not be as young as you once were, but that does not mean that you have to squander this chance. You may not notice it, but he looks at you as well."

Ashalle laughed lightly. "Get you gone, Da'len. I'm sure you have other, more important things to worry about that talking to a love-struck old woman. Here take this. It will unlock the chest in the Northern part of our camp. In it contains some things of your parents that were left to you a long time ago."

Sanile grinned as she took the key. "So you placed it near Paivel for a reason?"

The younger elf sprung away from her surrogate mother laughing as the other woman shouted behind her. Heading back up the slope, Sanile was a little uneasy about seeing things that belonged to her parents. The most she'd ever known about them was tales and Ashalle had told her as much now as she ever had. Perhaps it was best that she didn't know the truth. Sighing, she knelt down and unlocked the chest. A faded wooden shield stared up at her. Her Dalish leather gloves allowed her fingertips to be free and, therefore, her dexterity was much better. In this case, her freed fingertips were used to slowly move along the aged ironbark of the shield. This had been her father's. There were several dents and dings in the object's surface, indicating that the object had been put to its intended use. Sanile lifted it from the chest and hung it on her back with her other weapons. She was no Warrior, but that didn't mean she wouldn't be able to use it for protection.

Giving one last look to the chest, the sun's rays sparkled off of something that had been undisturbed for years. Sanile reached in one last time. The cool thin metal of a chain met her fingers as she pulled an amulet from the chest. It was of simple Dalish design and made of tarnished silver. Her mother's name was written on the back in Elvish. Sanile hugged the amulet to her chest before drawing it away to examine it further. The charm was decorated in moons and stars as well as thinly-carved vines that wove around the edges. The thought that her father must've given this to her mother made her smile a bit.

"So Ashalle has decided to give you the key to your parents' chest. I think it is for the best. They would both be so proud of you."

Sanile turned and blinked in surprise to find Paivel standing behind her. "Abelas, Hahren. I didn't hear you approach. How do you stand?"

Paivel gave a bemused chuckled. "I should be asking you that very same question, Da'len. You had a very close brush with death and now you stand before me. Are you certain that you are well?"

The blonde smiled as she fastened the clasp of her mother's amulet around her neck. Once that had been done, she straightened it a bit. "I am well, Paivel. Thank you. I must go speak with the Keeper soon. Tamlen is still missing and I must join in the search. It is my fault that is missing to begin with."

"Do not say that, Da'len. You are not to blame. Things happen for a reason and this certainly will have a good reason. It may not be clear what that reason may be, Sanile, but you will know it in time. It only saddens me that it has come to this. You young ones have been put in danger. When we lost all the other fledglings, we were sure that the Creator had another purpose for you four that had survived. I will not keep you further. You have much to do and no time to listen to an old man's stories."

Sanile bid Paivel farewell as she made her way to Marethari's tent. Almost as if she had sensed her presence, the Keeper moved the door flap aside and motioned her in. The blonde nodded to Keeper Marethari as she paced a bit nervously about the tent. Marethari watched her carefully, as though she were giving her a thorough examination. The older woman could see that there was still sickness in Sanile's body. Her skin was still pale and her eyes were glazed. Her movements were a little more rigid than the normal fluid graceful ones. She'd yet to tell the young one, but she'd only been able to subdue the Taint, not cure it. That would be a point to bring up during their conversation. Shaking her head, Marethari finally spoke.

"It is a relief to finally see you up, Da'len. We were all very worried about you."

"Thank you for your concern, Keeper. I'm very sorry for worrying anyone." Sanile apologized, lowering her eyes. "Thank you for healing me."

The Keeper shook her head. "I am sorry, Da'len, but I could not heal you. I used the old magics as much as I could. Even with my abilities, I was only able to subdue the illness. If a cure is not found, your condition will only worsen. The strain will eventually kill you."

Sanile jerked her head toward the older woman, shocked. "Then what am I still doing here, Keeper? I must leave and search for Tamlen. He may be sick as well."

"There are a few questions that I must ask before I release you to the hunting party, Sanile. I also want to tell you that if Tamlen was exposed to the same thing you were, there may be little hope of finding him alive. The longer it takes us to find him, the wick of his life flame burns shorter. Tell me, Da'len, what is the last thing you remember?"

The blonde bit her bottom lip to try and subdue the tears of dismay that threatened to fall. After a moment of breathing, she swallowed the lump in her throat and contemplated her answer. "We were exploring some ruins that the shem had told us about."

"I see. That would explain things. Those humans you and Tamlen threatened returned to their village and are returning with reinforcements. We must move our clan North. Continue."

"We went deep into the ruins and found a mirror there. Tamlen claimed to have seen another place on the other side of the glass. He said that there was something calling him. He touched the glass, Keeper Marethari. I remember him crying out that something had seen him, to help him. I remember a great flash of light and then I woke up here." Sanile said, choking a bit on her tears.

Marethari rubbed her back in a comforting manner. "Were there any Darkspawn that you saw?"

The blonde choked back another sob, attempting to wipe her eyes. She felt her heart breaking at the sound of Tamlen calling to her for help that echoed in the back of her mind. "I don't know, Keeper. There were walking corpses and giant spiders. There was a creature in the chamber with the mirror that resembled a bear, but was terribly disfigured."

The Keeper sighed as she turned away from the younger woman. "I was hoping that I could get some answers when you awoke, but it seems there are only more questions. As soon as you are ready, take Fenarel and Merrill and return to the ruins. Only you know where they are. Perhaps Tamlen is still there. If you need supplies and weapons, talk to Master Illen. Please be careful, Sanile. I don't want to lose any more children."

"I will be careful, Keeper. Thank you. I will find Tamlen. I can at least do that much for him if I could not help him."

Sanile left the tent with a heavy heart. She had to find her two companions and begin their search. It didn't take long to find Merrill, for she was waiting by the Keeper's tent. Once telling her the plan of action, she joined in the search for Fenarel. The young hunter was standing by one of the aravels. He caught sight of them and started making his way toward the two women.

"How now, Sanile? What are we to do?"

"We go search for Tamlen in the ruins." She replied matter-of-factly.

"I am to study the artifacts while we're there, just in case there was something you missed." Merrill told her reassuringly. "The Keeper thinks that perhaps she can study the mirror you found and find a cure for your illness."

"Are you well enough to go back there?" Fenarel asked, his expression one of concern. "You've barely been awake for an hour now. I don't want you hurting yourself."

The blonde smiled as she rested her hand on his forearm. "I'm fine, Fenarel. I will let you know if I am not feeling well. Now, let's go."

"I agree." Merrill nodded. "Our search will be much more difficult if the sun sets while we're in the forest."

~*~

"Ser Grey Warden!" cried a voice that seemed to be approaching quickly.

The brunette looked up from his current task to stare at the man who was fast approaching him. In his hands was a role of parchment. "I hate it when people call me that. I wish they'd call me by my name. I'm guessing that you bring some sort of news?"

"Aye, Ser! I bring a message from Ser Duncan. Came all the way from the Wilds to the South of Lake Calenhad, it did." The messenger said, handing the young man the parchment.

"How long ago did he send this, do you know?"

"Naught two days ago, Ser Alistair. He said it was urgent and that I was to deliver it with all haste." The messenger relayed. "Should I wait for a reply?"

Alistair's eyes scoured the piece of parchment, reading the message that the words spelled out. "No, there's no need. Rest and have a meal. These are the findings of his."

So, Duncan had located the relic he'd heard tale of. He'd also managed to find the tribe of Dalish that were in that area. They hadn't known as much about it as he'd hoped, but they were able to share with him some lore they had collected. The last part of the message surprised him a bit. He'd found an acceptable candidate for the Grey Warden recruits. It was a young Dalish _woman_ by the name of Sanile. Woman? There was already a young woman in the camp from Highever named Elissa Cousland who was also here for the joining. Why was Duncan taking interest in women recruits all of a sudden? Alistair rolled his shoulders. Duncan wouldn't have taken interest in them if they had not proven themselves worthy. There was an invasion of Darkspawn coming and it really didn't matter the gender of the recruits so long as they were able to help the Grey Wardens.

"What troubles you, Alistair? Is the message from Duncan not good?"

The brunette jumped in surprise. "Oh, Maker's breath, Wynne. I'll do no good to Duncan if you cause my heart to fail."

The seasoned mage smiled gently at him. "My apologies. I simply wanted to know how his search was going."

"Apparently, Duncan's found another new recruit for the Wardens." Alistair said, rerolling the parchment. "A Dalish woman."

"Dalish?" Wynne asked. "I don't know much about the Dalish. They're very subdued and wary of humans. Apparently, they've been this way since the fall of their homeland, the Dales. I've also heard tale of the fall of their first country's city, Arlathan. They fled from the humans and those who did not escape were taken as slaves."

"That's awful. Because they were dominated, we took them as slaves? I can see why they don't trust us." Alistair mused. "Duncan mentioned that this particular clan was especially hard to find because most of their…fledglings I suppose they call them…were killed by humans. The woman he's bringing back was one of the four that survived."

Wynne shook her head in disgust. "That has always been our nature, has it not? Destroy what we fear and do not understand. I feel sorry for the Dalish. I only hope that you treat her as you would any other human. She's probably never been away from her people or the forest, for that matter. It will be inevitable that she will meet Elissa. Her sharp tongue may get her into trouble. What is this young woman's name? Did Duncan tell you?"

The brunette wracked his brain for several seconds before remembering the name he'd read on the paper. "Sanile Mahariel. They'll be here in a few days. Duncan said they'd be coming through the hinterlands. That's the only logical way. I'm hoping that she'll have some experience with the Darkspawn. Lady Cousland has had no such experience."

"It is hard to say." Wynne commented. "You will be there to guide her, no doubt. I have faith that she'll be safe in your capable hands."

Alistair cleared his throat, his cheeks taking on a pink tint. "I'm a capable warrior. I'll make sure nothing happens to the new recruits."

"Are you swooning over the green horn already and she's not even here yet?" came one of the new recruits.

Wynne giggled a little as she patted Alistair's shoulder. "We were discussing the new recruit that Duncan found in the Wilds near Lake Calenhad. She's Dalish, so you'll have to watch your mouth Elissa."

The ebony-haired noble snorted. "How is she different than any of the other elves that I've known or met? The last elf I got to know, well, Iona was very sweet. We got to know each other _very_ well." Elissa said with a smirk on her face. "I saw every inch of her. Literally."

"You? You did…with an elf? A woman?" Alistair stuttered. "I really didn't see that coming. Maybe we should worry about you swooning over the new recruit."

"Not unless she's blonde and beautiful." Elissa said with a wink as she wandered off to join another recruit named Daveth. "Otherwise, she's all yours, Alistair."

The old mage couldn't help but laugh at the expression on Alistair's face. The young woman from Highever was only twenty, but was a spitfire. The junior Grey Warden wasn't quite sure how to take her. Nevertheless, Alistair had taken up a genuine interest in the new recruit that had yet to join them. War, however, was not the time to be focused on romance. Shaking her head, Wynne bid the brunette farewell and returned to the mages' quarter. There was much to be done before the upcoming battle.

~*~

No sooner had the three elves entered the forest that they were attacked. It had not started out with battle, however. The eerie quiet that permeated through the trees was enough to stand the hairs on the backs of their necks on end. Sanile had taken the lead, for she knew where they were going. Merrill and Fenarel weren't far behind. The blonde's ears had pricked for any little sound that may have been made. Then there was suddenly a snapping of twigs a short distance ahead of them.

"There's something up ahead." Merrill whispered, pulling to a stop and pulling her mage's staff from her back. "We should proceed with caution."

Sanile drew her daggers as she continued to move out in front. Fenarel had already strung an arrow and pulled the string back as he moved with caution to Sanile's left. Being a mage, Merrill hung back behind the two warriors as they headed deeper into the forest. The snapping twigs led way to growls and snarls from within the greenery. It was only a matter of seconds before the creatures making those sounds made their way into the clearing. The female warrior rushed ahead of her companions to attack the creatures that had moved to ambush them.

"Are these Darkspawn?" Merrill asked frantically, casting a spell.

"They bloody well look like it." Sanile growled, slashing one of the archers that had stumbled into her path.

"How in the Creator's name did they get here?" Fenarel asked, releasing his bow string and knocking another arrow.

"I think I know." Sanile said as she stabbed her opponent through the chest with one of her daggers while swinging the other in a smooth arc that lopped off its head.

"You can explain when we've dispatched them all." Merrill cried as she scorched her archer foe with blast of fire.

When all of the Darkspawn lay slain, the three companions sheathed their weapons and gathered together. They studied their fallen foes while glancing further into the trees. Were there more of these creatures out there? No doubt there were. Merrill studied her friend's face after the exertion they had put into the battle. Having just recovered from her illness, Sanile looked a bit weary.

"Are you feeling all right?" the Keeper's assistant asked.

Sanile nodded. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"You do look very pale." Fenarel pointed out. "Are you sure that you're up to continuing?"

"I promise the both of you that I'm fine. If I feel otherwise, I'll be the first to say so." The blonde told them, smiling gently to reassure them.

Merrill nodded. "Only if you're sure. Let's continue, shall we?"

Sanile moved away from the others, leading them to the ruins that had caused this mess. "I think the Darkspawn came throught the mirror that Tamlen and I found. He said that he saw something on the other side. There was another place he saw. It was underground."

"The Darkspawn hide in the Deep Roads of the Dwarf kingdoms, or so I'm told." Merrill said. "That's where they were chased after the last Blight. I'm sure the city of Orzammar has been pushing them back."

"If they're coming to the surface, then it's possible that there's something bigger going on." Fenarel commented.

"You mean an Archedemon?" Sanile asked. "You're suggesting that this could be a Blight, then?"

"Quite possibly." Fenarel nodded. "Why else would the Darkspawn be this far from the Deep Roads?"

Sanile chose not to answer this as she stopped in front of the cave. She suddenly felt daunted to stand once again at its mouth. The last time she'd stood here, Tamlen had been with her. Now he was missing. How many more would she lose? Shaking her head, she took the first uncertain steps into the ruins. They looked the same as they had before. This time, however, she knew of the dangers that existed within them. Merrill looked about her in wonder.

"Everything is as you left it before, yes?"

"Exactly like we left it." Sanile nodded.

"I'll take a look around as move further in. Just in case you missed something." Merrill said.

The twenty-four-year-old blonde woman didn't answer for the growls the emanated from further inside the stone corridors. Leaving the other two behind, Sanile attacked the nearest Darkspawn with a flurry of her daggers. When the thing fell backward, she moved on to the next one. She made a swipe with her weapons, nearly cutting the genlock in half. It fell backward onto the floor, its entrails hanging out, exposed. By the time her two companions reached her, the stone floor was covered in the dark blood of the Darkspawn. Sanile turned to look back at them, covered in it. Fenarel swallowed nervously as Merrill moved forward to catch up. Never before had he seen his friend fight with such ferocity. It was as if she were replaced by a demon.

"We're nearly there." Sanile panted, not even bothering to sheath her weapons.

They moved down the hallway and Sanile paused but a moment. She ran her fingers over the statue in the very same manner Tamlen had two days prior. She held the hilt of her dagger between her forefinger and her thumb as her fingertips moved over the smooth stone. The other hung loosely at her side. Somewhere in her heart, she knew that they weren't going to find Tamlen. Her brother was gone. He wouldn't return. Shaking her head, Sanile looked to her friends and nodded to the center chamber. Her weapons were raised when she saw that the door was open.

Once they entered the chamber, Sanile froze, causing Merrill to run into her. The mirror stood before her yet again and she couldn't help but feel resentment toward it. This time, there was a figure standing before the mirror, gazing into it. Merrill peeped out from behind the slightly taller blonde and recognized the man standing in front of them. The Keeper's apprentice moved into the open, no longer wary. Sanile watched her move forward, still rooted in her spot. Fenarel rested a hand on her shoulder as he stood very close behind her.

"Andaran atish'an (6), Duncan. You must be the Grey Warden who's been staying in the camp the past several days."

The dark-haired man turned to study the three that had recently joined him. "You three must have encountered Darkspawn. I thought I'd heard fighting. I would've joined you, but, as you can see, I've been fighting them as well."

"Have you seen any sign of anyone else here? Another elf?" Sanile asked quickly, her throat constricting in panic.

Duncan's gaze shifted to her carefully. "And you are Sanile. You're the one I found outside the cave. Can you tell what happened before I found you?"

The blonde licked her lips nervously before answering. "Tamlen and I came to investigate the ruins. We came across the mirror and he insisted that he saw something on the other side. I tried to stop him, but he touched the glass and there was a bright flash. Then I remember waking up."

"I've seen other relics like this." Duncan said, turning away. "If they have been tainted, they can act as a gateway for the Darkspawn to move through. It is best if the mirror is destroyed."

"I agree." Sanile said. "Destroy that _thing_."

"But, Keeper Marethari…" Merrill began.

"You can't help me with an evil gateway, Merril. I'll find another way to rid myself of this illness." The blonde said with a smile. "Destroy it, Ser Duncan."

With a small nod, the Grey Warden drew his sword and moved menacingly toward the mirror. The glass rippled only once as he raised the weapon over his head. In one swift, powerful strike, Duncan connected the sword with the glass. In a rain that looked like stardust, the glass flew into a thousand pieces. Sanile released the breath she had been holding as Duncan turned to face her once again. His face held a weary expression.

"Now, if there's nothing further, we should return to camp. This area is dangerous and there is no telling how many of the Darkspawn managed to cross over before the mirror was destroyed."

"What of Tamlen? Are we supposed to forget him?" Sanile asked, a bitter chord to her voice.

"You will not find him here. He has been Tainted for two days. You were near death when I found you. There is no way that you will find him now. The three of you should return with me to camp."

A knot seemed to form in Sanile's chest. She'd been expecting this. She fought the urge to crumble on the spot and merely nodded, tears blurring her vision. This would not be an easy thing to tell Keeper Marethari. Fenarel seemed to sense her emotions and reached around her back to turn her around, guiding her after the Grey Warden with a gentle force. The man that was her brother was gone.

~*~

The camp seemed absolutely silent as the four entered it. Merrill quickly left, retiring to her tent in grief. Fenarel remained at the Southern edge of the camp to relay events to Ashalle. Duncan accompanied Sanile to the tent of Keeper Marethari, who was waiting outside. The Keeper's expression was unreadable as the young woman stood before her, attempting to swallow her grief.

"Any news on the whereabouts of Tamlen?"

Sanile shook her head. "He is gone, Keeper."

A saddened look passed over her features as she looked away. "I was afraid it would come to this. I feel great sadness for the loss of one of our young. It pains me to return Tamlen to the earth. What of the mirror, Da'len?"

"I can answer that for you." Duncan offered, seeing the trembling of the blonde's shoulders. "I destroyed it. The Darkspawn were using it as a gateway from the Deep Roads. They are moving to the surface."

"Then things are worse than I feared. Sanile, please go inform Hahren Paivel that a ceremony for Tamlen must be arranged. Duncan and I must speak. We will send for you when we are finished."

"Yes, Keeper Marethari."

Sanile could no longer hide her tears as she strode quickly to the Northern end of the camp. Paivel always stayed there with the children. It would pain him to learn of their loss, but she could not allow her clan to leave without giving her brother a proper farewell. Sure enough, the older man was waiting by the fire. Taking a deep breath, the young woman made her way to him and began to think up the words she would say to him.

Fenarel had remained silent for quite some time. He was now sitting by the fire opposite where Sanile and Paivel were talking. He'd ventured past the Keeper's tent and knew very well what they were discussing. The Grey Warden was going to take her away. He was going to invoke the Right of Conscription and take Sanile to a place called Ostagar where they were preparing a large battle against the Darkspawn. He was taking her into the heart of danger. Knowing this, the hunter doubted that they'd ever see her again. That thought in mind, he made his decision. He would sit Sanile down and tell her his exact feelings for her, because it wouldn't make a difference whether she rejected him or not. She was leaving. He'd always been afraid to say anything because Tamlen was always so protective of the blonde elf. Fenarel hated to see her suffer like this.

The object of his affection was slowly making her way back toward the Keepers tent. She would be passing by him in a matter of seconds. It was now or not at all. Taking a deep breath and screwing up all of his courage, he called out to her. Sanile jerked her head toward her name being called and quickly made her way over to him. Taking a seat beside Fenarel, she gazed upon him with curiosity.

"What's on your mind, Lethallin?"

His heart began to beat faster as he tried to form the words in his mind, but nothing sounded right. "I know that now is probably not the best time to speak about matters of the heart, but I thought it best not to wait any longer."

She seemed to get nervous at this statement and shifted as such. "What do you mean, Fenarel?"

"I will not lie to you. I have cared deeply for you for quite some time." Fenarel let out a sad chuckle. "I probably didn't say anything until now because I was afraid Tamlen would hang me by my bow string."

"Fenarel—"

"Please, Sanile. Let me speak. Care is not even the correct word. I've fallen in love with you. When you were ill, there was not a day that passed that I did not sit with you or at least outside your tent. I was afraid I would lose you or the Creator would take you back. I couldn't have stood that."

The blonde wasn't sure what to say in response to this. She knew that she probably shouldn't have touched him either, but she pulled him into a embrace anyway. Sanile wasn't sure what would happen from now on, but she was sure that what the Keeper and the Grey Warden were cooking up wasn't good. So, with one arm looped around his shoulders and her other hand resting gently on the back of his head, the blonde pulled him closer to her.

"Abelas, Fenarel. I'm touched by your confession. I truly am." Sanile said pulling him back to an arm's length, gazing into his eyes. "However sweet your sentiments though, I simply cannot return them. I have a feeling that Keeper Marethari and Ser Duncan are in her tent now discussing my fate. In my eyes, Fenarel, you are one of my dearest friends and you always will be. I can't think of you as a mate and I'm sorry for that. I certainly don't want to break your heart, Fenarel, but I don't wish to lead you on, either."

Fenarel nodded stiffly collecting her face in his hands as she stared at him in wide-eyed shock. What surprised her even more was when he lowered his face to hers and covered her lips with his own. Sanile allowed the kiss for several seconds before pulling away, a saddened expression filling her eyes. Rising to her feet, she shook her head as she rested a hand on his shoulder. Sanile only remained in her place for a moment before she headed off toward the Keeper's tent. They were probably done discussing whatever was so important. In fact, Duncan and Keeper Marethari had just come out of the tent as she came to a stop in front of them.

"Ah, there you are, Da'len. I don't have to send someone to fetch you."

"I await the decision of your talk, Keeper." The blonde said, bowing slightly to her elder.

"Your Keeper and I have been talking and we have come to a plan that will save you from your illness. It is the only way to save you." Duncan said.

Sanile looked from her Keeper, to Duncan, and back to her Keeper. "Does he speak the truth? There is a cure for my illness?"

"Yes, Sanile, there is." Keeper Marethari confirmed. "The way will not be easy, but I have faith that you can do this. We will be moving the clan North very soon."

"Then I will have to perform this task quickly. Where must I go?" The blonde asked, a stern expression on her face.

Keeper Marethari shook her head. "I think you have been mistaken, my child. You will be accompanying Duncan back to Ostagar. You are to become a Grey Warden, Sanile. You won't be coming back."

"If you don't mind my urgency, I'd like to leave as soon as possible."

Sanile was shocked into silence. She was leaving the only family, the only home she'd ever known. Now she was being told to leave it and all of her friends. The Keeper said that it was only way to cure her illness and save her. She could agree to this or she could choose to die slowly. In a way, she felt betrayed. The expression that Keeper Marethari held let her know that she had little choice in the matter and would be going to Ostagar. Nodding slowly, Sanile swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I will accompany the Grey Warden to Ostagar."

Keeper Marethari let out a sigh of relief and she embraced the young woman. "I'm glad that you have decided this, Da'len. I would hate to sit by and watch as you die slowly."

"Very well." Duncan said. "We will leave immediately."

"The only thing I ask is that I be allowed to stay for Tamlen's funeral." Sanile said, feeling the emotion rising in her chest once again.

"I ask haste, but I cannot deny you that. We will leave when the ceremony is over."

~*~

The ceremony had been fairly short and Paivel had given Tamlen the respect he deserved. Sanile now stood by the small tree that they had planted over the place where her brother's body should've been. Not bothering to dry her tears she turned to look at Keeper Marethari as she approached her. The older woman embraced her tightly as she kissed her forehead. This was the final goodbye.

"I'm so sorry that I couldn't find him." Sanile sobbed. "I failed Tamlen."

"You did not fail him, child. Tamlen would not want you to feel as such. Now, your time with us is growing short. You will have your blood writing to remind you of us. Now come. Let your clan embrace you one last time."

Sanile was led away from the tree and toward the edge of the camp. Duncan was waiting on them and fell into step beside the blonde as they began to move out of the camp. All of her clan members were there to see her off on her long journey. She could see Fenarel and Merrill. Ashalle was there as well. Fenarel grabbed her hand as she passed him. A pained look inhabited his eyes.

"Abelas, Sanile…for everything. If we don't meet again, please stay safe."

The blonde nodded. "It's up to you to make sure Merrill stays safe. There won't be a day that goes by when I don't think about my clan."

Merrill took a step toward her as she passed. Keeper Marethari prevented her from stepping into her path to stop her. Instead, the dark-haired mage choked a sob and called out to her as she and Duncan were making their way out of the village. "Don't you dare die, Sanile! I will find you in the Beyond and flog the living daylights out of you!"

The young blonde woman broke into a smile to fight her tears as she and Duncan finally stepped beyond the camp. "I never imaged that I would be leaving them." She said, brushing away a few stray tears.

"I understand that this must be hard for you, my dear. You must be strong. We will be heading south through the hinterlands to the ruins of an old Tevinter fortress called Ostagar. It was used in the old days to keep the Wilds in check. It will take us about three days to reach it from here. We have a long way ahead of us so we should make haste."

~*~

End Chapter.

* * *

(1_) Shemlen_- literally means "quick children." This is the world used in reference to humans by the elves.

(2) _Shue shah tauthau toetoi thuet- _means "I don't want to kill you" in elvish

(3) _Abelas- _elvish for "sorrow" also used for an appology.

(4) _Lethallin- _"friend of mine" used as a casual reference to a friend

(5) _Da'len- _child; my child

(6) _Andaran atish'an- _a formal elvish greeting that literally means "enter this place in peace"

So, how did you enjoy the first chapter. I know you didn't get a very good enough glimpse at Elissa, but this story is focused on Sanile. I had so much fun writing this chapter, especially the little interlude with Alistair and Wynne at Ostagar (yes, Wynne was at Ostagar in the game. I've decided that I'm going update this story based on reviews. Ten reviews for chapter one and I'll post chapter two. I haven't gotten very far into chapter two yet, but I'm looking forward to it. Sanile and Alistair come face to face!

_Next Chapter:_

_Introduction of Alistair_

_Sanile meets the other Grey Warden recruits_

_Duncan assigns the trials_

_Morrigan makes the scene_

_Flemeth returns the Grey Warden treaties_

_The Joining_


	2. The Joining

**Author's Note: Thank you to all of you that read chapter one. I forgot to mention in the last AN that there are several different, specific things that I've been listening to and some of them may appear in a chapter or two. They consist of: the album _Worlds Collide_ by Apocalyptica, the album _The Heart of Everything_ by Within Temptation, and, of course, the Dragon Age: Origins soundtrack. Also, I wanted to mention the fact that Elissa is the name generated by the game for the FemCousland origin. I'd seen several other stories with the name Elissa and just wanted to verify that I didn't steel any of those, I was just too lazy at the time to think up an original name.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age: Origins or any of its characters. They respectively belong to EA Games and Bioware. I do own Elissa and Sanile.**

Title: Dragon Age: Dalish Elf Origin

Series: Dragon Age-Origins

Genre: Angst/Action/Romance

Pairings: Sanile/Alistair, Elissa/Zevran

Chapter 2

In the three days that it had taken to travel from the Wilds to Ostagar, Sanile had seen things that she'd never seen in all of her twenty-four years. They had passed by small human villages, one of which Duncan stopped at for news. Every human that she passed eyed her strangely or with disgust. True, her Dalish armor was a bit revealing around the midsection, but how did they expect her to move well in bulky armor? Human women dressed strangely compared to those of her own people. Never before had she seen gowns of such make. Even the lower classes were dressed relatively well. Duncan smiled at her as she looked about in wonder.

"I take it that you've never actually been in a human village before."

Sanile jerked her head back to him. "No. We always made it a point to stay as far away from the shem as possible. Most of them were bitter toward us and resorted to violence. "

Duncan chuckled. "You seem quite amazed by this village. What has made you so?"

"Well, never before have I seen women dressed in this way before. I doubt this is how your royalty dresses, but human women seem _gaudy_. We Dalish women don't dress as such. Our garments are simple and efficient." The blonde said, earning her some haughty snorts and sharp glares.

The Grey Warden shook his head, fighting a smile. He knew that she would be an interesting new addition to the Wardens…if she survived the Joining. Elissa would certainly have a competitor when it came to attitude. If he knew his junior Grey Warden well enough, Alistair would take a liking to her too. "This is the last village before we reach Ostagar. If there's anything you need, pick it up before we leave. There will be the quartermaster to trade with once we reach our destination, but that's still half a day from here."

The Dalish woman looked up into the sky. Puffy white clouds drifted past, occasionally hiding the sun. It was still an hour or two before noon, so if they made good time, they'd reach Ostagar before sunset. That would give she and the other recruits time to complete the trials that Duncan had told her about. There was nothing that she could think of that she needed right away. Following the older man toward the outskirts of the village, she stepped onto the road once again without a glance back.

~*~

The ruins of Ostagar were a lot bigger than Sanile could've ever imagined. It must've been an illustrious fortress in its prime. Duncan had taken to walking ahead of her since she was taking in all of the new scenery. She'd nearly run into the Grey Warden when he paused at a large stone archway. The Dalish woman moved beside him to see a man with gold heavy armor and an entourage of soldiers moving toward them. Sanile was in mid-question of the man's identity when Duncan shushed her quite abruptly.

"It is a surprise and a great honor to be greeted in person, you majesty."

The man couldn't have been very old. At most he was twenty-eight or twenty-nine. He seemed like a very friendly person just by his expressions. "Duncan, you're back and sooner than I'd expected. We've been preparing for battle while you were away."

"Has there been any change in the Darkspawn, King Calen? I have discovered that there are Darkspawn in small numbers, but they are spreading." Duncan affirmed.

The king's gaze landed squarely on her and it made her nervous. She'd never been under close scrutiny by a human man before, much less one as illustrious as this one. "This must be your new recruit. I've never met one of the Dalish, but I've heard about your people's incredible skill and honor."

Sanile found her tongue when Duncan elbowed her in the side. "T-thank you, your majesty."

Calen laughed. "Now, you can drop the formalities. We will be fighting together on the battlefield after all. In fact, I doubt that we're even dealing with a true Blight. There's been no sighting of the Archdemon."

"I didn't realize things were going so well." Sanile murmured.

"Yes, well, we'll see how things go after the battle. I'm sorry to cut this short, but I must return to my tent. Logaine will have sent out a search party by now."

Sanile watched after the king as he departed further into the ruins. She then turned to the senior Grey Warden standing next to her. "So, by the way that the king was speaking, the fight with the Darkspawn is almost over."

Duncan motioned her to walk with him. "The king is fascinated by the old tales of the Grey Wardens and the glory of the battles during the old Blights. He believes that because there's been no sign of an Archdemon that this is not a true Blight. I fear that this light-hearted attitude may do more harm than good."

"Then perhaps we should move quickly. What is it that you need me to do?"

"For now, I am going to speak with the king. You can look around the camp and meet some of the other recruits. Don't leave the ruins for now. When you are ready, seek out another Grey Warden named Alistair. I'll meet with all of you shortly."

Without another word, Duncan was gone toward the heart of Ostagar. Sanile felt strangely calm as she saw all the humans around her. She expected to feel threatened. Instead, she felt out of place. These weren't the forests. In fact, this was the most stone she'd seen in her life. The Dalish woman wasn't quite sure what to make of it all. So rather than standing around looking like she was new to civilization, she decided to make her way into camp. The guard on the other side of the bridge greeted her as she passed and Sanile was thrown off. Didn't most humans want to run her off?

There were tents set up all over the place. Men and women moved in all directions. Most of them wore armor. Never before had she seen this many soldiers in one place and women among them. Sanile was beginning to wonder if elves were the only race of people that allowed their women to fight. Speaking of other elves, there were flat-ears roaming around the camp, no doubt doing the bidding of their masters. Her people always believed that their city-faring kin should be scorned. The blonde couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for them. Many of the captains and higher ranked soldiers were barking orders at them and the elves would scurry to carry out their task.

"Hey you!" came a shout.

Sanile turned to look at one of the mages that had started to make his way toward her. "Can I help you?" she asked uncertainly.

"You can start by telling me why you're dressed so ridiculously. Go change your clothes at once. Have you delivered that message to the templar yet? I refuse to speak to him in person."

"I think you're mistaken, Ser Mage. I am one of the—"

The blonde was met with a sharp backhand to the mouth. She turned her head back around in surprise, the taste of copper already filling her mouth. "That's the problem with you elvish filth. You don't like to listen to orders. Here," he said, placing a note in her hand, "Go give this to that disrespectful prat Alistair."

Fury lit her eyes as Sanile crumpled the note in her fist. "I think you should learn who you're talking to before barking out orders, human! I'm not one of your servants scurrying around here like mice. I am one of the Dalish and a new recruit for the Grey Wardens. Harsh decisions lead to harsher actions."

"They're letting in everyone now, aren't they?" the mage said, hatefully. "Go on and deliver that letter since you already have it."

The Dalish woman was about to start in on her rant again when an older woman, who was also a mage, stepped in to stop the argument. "Really, Josef, you could've told that she was one of the Dalish by the blood writing. None of the servants here are tattooed."

The man now known as Josef snorted. "Whatever you say. It is no concern of mine. I only wish for the note to be delivered and that's all. She can give it to one of the other elves to do, if she wishes."

"Better yet, I will deliver the message myself." The woman said. "My name is Wynne, dear girl. I hope that Josef has not offended you too much."

"I'll give him this one because there are always fools amongst the wise. The next time he hits me, however, I'm going to break his nose." Sanile said, pressing her fingers to her lip to find crimson when she pulled them away.

Wynne chuckled a bit. "I believe you and Elissa will get along just fine. Is there anything you wish to know about this place? I saw you walking past and you looked confused."

"My name is Sanile, by the way. I think I do have some questions. I wish to know who the other recruits are. I've seen so many soldiers walking around this place that I have given up on trying to decide which ones might be the recruits."

The older mage laughed outright at this statement. The young woman clearly wasn't used to this much human contact. "Well dear, there's Ser Jory who hails from Redcliffe. He's the nicest fellow you could wish to meet, but he's not too bright. There's Daveth, whose village isn't too far from here. Be careful of him. He's a charmer. Then there's Elissa Cousland. She's a young noble woman from Highever. She's got a fiery tongue, so watch what you say to her."

"Thank you, Wynne. Are the mages going into the battle as well?" the blonde asked.

"Yes, Sanile, we are. We won't be on the front lines, mind you, but we will be there. What about you? Duncan must have seen great potential in you when he decided to take you from the forests."

"I'm not so sure. I don't really want to talk about it, so I won't go into much detail, but I was tainted. I'm sure that Duncan was impressed that I survived and I have yet to slip into madness. Perhaps I shall tell you the whole story after the battle. That wound is too fresh yet." Sanile stated, looking at the ground quickly.

"I'm sorry, dear. It was not my intention to pour the salt. If you wish to talk about it after the battle with me, you are more than welcome Sanile." The older mage stated, a gentle smile pulling at her lips. "Now, I'll take that message and run it to Alistair."

Sanile shook her head, ignoring the blood that settled on her split lip. "I'm looking for Alistair anyway. I'll just give him the message when I find him. Thank you anyway, Wynne."

"Anytime, Sanile. Now, you'd best either meet the other recruits or go find Alistair. I'm sure Duncan won't want to be waiting long."

Giving a slight nod, Sanile left the older woman and ventured off through the camp. Wynne was the second human she'd met that had been kind to her. The mage had given off a grandmotherly impression and Sanile felt that she'd grow to like the woman. Somehow, however, she also had the feeling that many of the others in camp would mistake her as a servant. As she made her way toward a large staircase, she moved by a large fire in the center of the camp. Three figures were sitting around it talking and laughing. She decided to take her chances and approach them about being Grey Wardens.

As she neared them, their attention turned to her. "Are you the other recruits I was told about?"

A woman a few years younger than her seemed to size her up before answering. "And you must be the Dalish recruit. I'm Elissa Cousland. This is Daveth and the big lug over there is Jory."

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Sanile Mahariel."

"I've never seen a Dalish before." The young man named Daveth commented. "I'm sure you've already been mistaken for a servant, no doubt."

"You have no idea." The Dalish woman said. "I had no idea that mages could be so rude."

Elissa snickered. "Some of them are. We watched the whole thing. If that mage had busted my lip like that, I'd have knocked his teeth out. You looked like you were going to slice him to ribbons anyhow."

"I really wanted to, but I figured that would only confirm the horrible stories about elves." Sanile smirked. "He told me to change out of my ridiculous clothing."

Jory had been silent until then. "That's Dalish armor, is it not? He should've been able to pick you out like a sore thumb. I mean, none of the other elves here wear armor of that kind or have tattoos."

"You would think." Sanile snorted. "I told him he was a fool. I imagine that it is not wise to rile the mages, but he had it coming."

"Yes, I think we will get along just fine." Elissa said. "I see why Alistair would be swooning over you from a simple letter now."

"He…pardon me?" the blonde asked, confused.

"They were making fun of him for being curious about the new Dalish recruit." Daveth clarified. "Being honest Miss Elf, you are quite exotic."

Sanile felt her cheeks heat. "Wynne was right when she said you were a charmer." She muttered. "Does anyone know of the trials we're to perform or this Joining ceremony?"

"I don't see why we have to perform any other tests." Jory stated, crossing his arms over his chest. "I feel that I've proven myself ten times over. What is the point of doing it all over again?"

"I heard some of the other Grey Wardens talking last night and decided to listen in for a bit." Daveth said. "I hear that the Joining is quite dangerous. I didn't get to hear much more than that because I would've been caught."

"I say bring it on." Elissa said, a bright smile crossing her face. "It's nothing we can't handle."

"I think we should watch one another's backs. We'll need all the help we can get. Has anyone ever really encountered Darkspawn before?" the elf asked, chewing on her lip and causing it to bleed once more.

"I…have not." Jory replied.

"I sure haven't, but I heard they're gruesome." Daveth said, shaking his head.

"Neither have I." Elissa answered. "Have you?"

Sanile nodded her head. "They're quite fearsome and there's no way to properly describe them. They're the most ferocious creatures that I've ever come upon. Their blood burns the skin."

"Good to know." Elissa said. "Well, at least we know that they can be killed. You're proof of that. Here, take this. I already have one, but I got this from the quarter master."

The Dalish woman took the pack that was handed to her and nodded. "Thank you, Elissa. I'll need all the pack room I can get before this is all over. I should probably find Alistair and give him this message. I'll see all of you in a bit."

The three waved to her as she made her way away from the fire and toward the large steps at the other end of the ruins. Sanile was beginning to think that this fortress would've been quite beautiful if it were in top condition. The arches and intricate designs were like nothing she'd ever seen. A pang of emotion hit her when she thought of nothing more than how much Tamlen would've loved to see this. Her brother would've loved to have come on this journey with her. She hardly thought that he would've let her go by herself anyway. Sanile shook her head and scrubbed at her eyes. She didn't need to meet this Alistair looking sorrowful.

Ascending the stairs, she looked about her. Now was not the most perfect time to get lost. As if to direct her to her destination, words were being passed back and forth in a loud exchange. There was a young man not much older than herself speaking with the mage that had been rude to her earlier. Clenching the note in her hand once again, she took to a fast stride to confront the hateful man before her. That was when Josef caught sight of her.

"There you are. You're about as useless as the servants. Better late than never, I suppose."

Alistair glanced at her, taking her in for a moment before turning back to Josef. "You sent her on an errand?"

"Yes." Sanile said flatly. "He also busted my lip, but, as you see, I'm not complaining about that."

Josef rolled his eyes and snorted. "You're lucky that's all I did to you. Just give him the note. I will not be harassed by this fool templar."

Alistair waited for him to leave before taking the note and smacking himself in the forehead with his hand. "That's what I love about being in the middle of a Blight. It just seems to bring people together."

Sanile lifted a blonde eyebrow at this remark. "You must be Alistair."

"That I am. I don't think we've met before." He replied.

Looking at him, the Dalish woman couldn't help but feel like she'd seen him somewhere before. He looked familiar. "No, I doubt we have. I'm one of the new recruits."

"Ah yes, the Dalish. I've heard about you. Your name escapes me at the moment." The brunette replied, embarrassed.

"I'm Sanile Mahariel." She offered.

"Yes, that was the name." Alistair said, his face lighting. "You've met the other recruits, I take it?"

The blonde nodded. "I have. Quite an interesting bunch. I must be honest. I don't think I've ever met so many shems in my life."

"So many what?"

"Shems. Shemlen? I suppose you wouldn't have heard that word. It's what my people call your people." Sanile explained. "I've come to learn that some of them aren't very kind." She said, touching her split and swollen lip.

"Did Josef do that to you?" Alistair asked, a frown twisting his lips. "I heard you two arguing, but if I'd have seen that…"

"Don't concern yourself with it." Sanile said, waving her hand. "If I hadn't been so concerned with disproving all the nasty rumors about the Dalish, I'd have sliced him to ribbons."

The brunette blinked before letting out a bark of laughter. "I think we're going to get along well. Let's get going. Wait there's another question I want to ask before we go find Duncan."

"Ask away." The elf conceded.

"Have you ever encountered Darkspawn before?"

Sanile nodded. "I have. They were quite fearsome to behold."

"Good. You'll have a little bit of an advantage over the other recruits. Most people have never seen the Darkspawn." Alistair said. "Now, if there's nothing else, let's find Duncan."

The blonde let the man move ahead of her and lead. She studied his form while he couldn't see her do so. She did not want to give off the wrong impression. Alistair was an average sized man, if not on the tall and lean side. He might not have even been that tall according to human standards. Dalish were, by nature, much shorter in stature than most humans. Therefore, Sanile was short. Elissa was at least a head and a half taller than her. Alistair's hair was neatly cut and a bit messy in the front. It was his face that threw her mind for a loop. She knew she'd seen that face somewhere else. Recently, at that.

The young man came to a stop abruptly when they reached the fire pit, causing the elf to run into him. That's what she got for not paying attention. Alistair turned around and gave her a sheepish grin before resting his hand on her shoulder in apology. Sanile rubbed her nose and moved to his side. What was it with her and running into people? Duncan gave her an amused glance before shifting his gaze to all of the other recruits.

"I see that you've found Alistair and gotten into a fight. You've had an eventful afternoon."

"It's not what you think—"

"Josef mistook her for a servant." Alistair explained. "He wasn't very polite either."

"I hope that you'll learn that not all humans are like that." Duncan said.

"You were a hell of a lot nicer about it than I would've been. " Elissa said. "Now, about these trials we must complete?"

The dark-haired Grey Warden nodded. "Thank you, Lady Cousland. You will be traveling into the Kocari Wilds. Your aim will be to gather four vials of Darkspawn blood for the Joining. It will also be your responsibility to find an old Grey Warden cache. The chest will mostly likely be broken, so you'll be looking for three scrolls. It is vital that you find these scrolls and bring them back here. Alistair will be going with you into the Wilds."

"I may be going with you, but I won't make your tasks easy. You won't be in too great a danger, either, so try to stay focused on the tasks ahead." Alistair told them.

"Oh, I can handle myself. Trust me." Elissa scoffed. "It's the others that you may have to worry about."

Jory and Daveth both protested while Sanile remained quiet. Her heart was somewhat heavy still with the recent loss of her brother. Perhaps fighting the Darkspawn could relieve some of the tension. "I'm sure that we'll have to be careful. Skill is one thing, but if we let our confidence get the best of us, we'll easily fall."

"I could've found no better way to say it." Alistair said, resting his hand on the elf's shoulder.

"So you are swooning, Alistair. Tisk tisk on you for showing favoritism." The dark-haired woman scolded with a grin.

Alistair removed his hand quickly and stumbled over his tongue, attempting to make up excuses. Sanile shook her head. "I can handle myself better than most. I can take care of myself. Thank you. My concern is for the rest of you."

Duncan stared sharply at her. "Sanile, do not let the events that have unfolded the days prior to your arrival at Ostagar cloud your judgment. Your loss was great, but do not lose yourself because of it. I have sent word to the gate and the guard will let you through."

With a nod, Alistair led them to the entrance to the Kocari Wilds. Nothing was said as the gate was opened for them. Adrenaline pumped through Sanile's veins as they moved into the swampy lands outside the fortress. The entire area seemed to be shrouded in twilight. The cry of the birds in the dying light of the sun was enough to put the elf on edge. She'd spent her entire life in the forest, so she knew what to listen for when enemies were about. A stillness had entered the trees, but the animals here were either used to the presence or had become quite brave. Her fellow Wardens saw this behavior and watched curiously as she moved carefully away from the closed gate.

"What are you doing?" Elissa asked.

Sanile looked back at the other woman for a fleeting second before her gaze returned to her front, scanning for potential threats. "You wouldn't recognize it. Living in the trees allows you to become one with the forest. Therefore, you can sense the small changes around you. Like now for instance. You shemlen may not see any difference in this forest, but I do. Everything is too still. The creatures have gone into hiding. Most of them have, anyway. There's something out there."

"A sixth sense, eh?" Daveth commented. "That's just very creepy. Good to have you along though. You're like a tracking device."

"I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult." The elf mumbled.

"I think it's a very useful trait, actually. My being with you is part of your protection seeing as I am a Grey Warden. Grey Wardens have the ability to sense the Darkspawn." Alistair said.

"Great, so we might die, but we'll be warned about it first." Daveth joked.

"This is not a laughing matter." Jory said, his eyes shifting about him nervously. "There is no need to send us into useless danger."

"Oh suck it in, Jory." Elissa snapped. "We've been given two important tasks. If we don't carry them out, we automatically fail."

"Let's just keep moving. We've got a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time." Alistair said.

Sanile was the first to push past him and move off into the Wilds. The bodies of many slain men lay out on the grass and in the stagnant water. Some sort of battle had taken place. The elf rolled one of the bodies over with the toe of her boot. Stab wounds and large slices covered the corpse. The poor bastard never knew what hit him. As the Dalish woman moved forward, she slowly drew her weapons. All manner of noise in the forest had ceased. When she rounded the corner, she dove out of the path of several arrows.

"Darkspawn!" she shouted back to her companions.

"Finally, some action!" Elissa crowed as she held her sword and shield at the ready.

The blonde went straight into attacking the closest enemy to her. An archer. Several arrows grazed her skin as she continued to slice at the genlock. A puncture of its abdominal cavity left it on the ground bleeding out. As the others dispatched their opponents, Sanile continued to face her current direction. She heard Jory cry out to look behind her, but kept up her calm exterior. When she felt the heated breath on the back of her neck, she stabbed backward in one fluid motion. Letting out a cry of rage, the elf turned while swinging her second dagger in a wide arc. The Hurlock fell backward as she wrenched her dagger from its gut, its head laying somewhere a little way off.

"Remind me never to get on your bad side." Daveth commented with a whistle. "Do you make it a habit to kill Darkspawn in the most attractive way possible or is it just instinct?"

Sanile smirked. "I feel so much better when I let them think they have the upper hand. It plays with the mind and leads the enemy into a false sense of confidence."

Kneeling down, Elissa opened her vial and directed in some of the blood from the genlock she'd killed. "Well, I'm done with my blood. The rest of you have to catch up."

The elf sighed as she looked down at the two Darkspawn she'd killed. They had bled out onto the ground, so she'd have to be careful next time or they'd be out here all night attempting to fill her vial. Sanile moved off into the forest, noticing that Elissa had moved up beside her. Alistair, Daveth, and Jory brought up the rear. The blonde couldn't help but feel that perhaps they'd taken to leading the party without meaning to.

"I noticed the shield on your back." Elissa commented. "Very fine piece of work. It does look a bit aged though."

"About twenty years so, Elissa." Sanile replied. "It belonged to my father. Before I left my clan was the first time I'd seen it."

Elissa leaned over a bit to examine the shield. "It's very finely crafted. What's it made of? Ironbark? I've never seen one made with such material. It seems to have very little damage at all. He must have loved you very much to part with such a weapon."

The blonde let out dismayed chuckled. "I don't know if he'd be pleased that I took it or no. My father died before I was born, so I never knew him. My surrogate mother kept this shield and an amulet of my mother's locked away until she felt I was ready."

"So you didn't know your mother, either?" the ebony-haired woman asked.

"No. She disappeared shortly after I was born. I was left in the care of Ashalle and Hahren Paivel, the storyteller."

"All right, enough of that." Daveth spoke up. "You're dampening our spirits back here!"

"There is no harm wanting to get to know the people you're going to be travelling with." Elissa said harshly. "Not everyone's life is full of sunshine and rainbows."

Curiosity got the better of Alistair as he moved forward a bit to talk to the elf. "Duncan spoke of a relic near your clan's camp. What became of that? He never told me."

"That _thing_ was destroyed. It caused pain to everyone. We lost one of our own to that _relic_. I'm glad that Duncan smashed that damned mirror." Sanile spat, bitterness in her tone.

"Ouch. Touchy subject. I'll remember not to bring it up again." The brunette said, shrinking back a little.

"You'd do well not to." The elf said, fighting the breaking in her voice and not succeeding. She was making progress, however. Her eyes hadn't filled with tears this time at the mention of her brother.

"So you lost someone important to you." Elissa stated.

"I said don't mention it." Sanile growled emotionally. "The best thing for me to do would be to forget him all together since there is no way for me to make amends to the situation."

"Him?" Elissa asked, prodding further. "A lover then?"

"My brother, if you must know." Sanile snapped. "Now, as this topic as no relevance to the task at hand, I suggest we drop it."

Skeletons of old structures littered the swamp around the party. This place must have been inhabited at one time. It would be perfect for the Darkspawn to hide in. The five made their way down the path that led them under a large fallen tree. Sanile could see several corpses that had been hung from the dead arbor. Alistair made a comment of the action being a little excessive and that the poor bastards probably didn't even know what hit them. By the look of their armors, they were bandits.

The swamp only remained still for a moment. A slew of genlocks and hurlocks ambushed them from the hillsides. Archers and warriors alike raced toward them before beginning their onslaught. The five jumped into action quickly. Each adversary was dispatched quickly when all five attacked together. The task of filling the remaining vials was completed, to say the least. Now the only bit of business they had left in the wilds was to recover the old Grey Warden cache. The four recruits looked to Alistair for further instruction on where to find the scrolls they'd been sent after.

"If I'm right, those ruins on the hill should be those of the old Grey Warden tower. We should make our way over and try to find the scrolls." The brunette explained.

"We shouldn't waste time then." Sanile said as she started walking in the direction that the junior Grey Warden had indicated.

Elissa shrugged and nodded to the rest of their companions to follow. Alistair hung behind a moment or two to contemplate the leadership roll the Dalish recruit had taken on. She had been the last of them to arrive, but the others seemed to follow her easily. He even found himself following her orders. Something about this woman radiated authority. There was something else that she was keeping from them. Nothing dangerous, but by the conversation that had taken place between she and Elissa , the elf had somewhat of a bloodied past. Alistair shook his head so that he might focus on their current task. The ruins were looming all about him and he hadn't even noticed their approach.

Sanile, on the other hand, had spotted a weather-worn chest on the other side of what used to be the main chamber. Picking up her gait, she knelt down and reached inside the vessel of soggy, rotten wood. A frown marred her face when her fingers came in contact with naught but air.

"It's empty."

"What do you mean 'it's empty'? The scrolls should be there." Alistair yelped incredulously.

"And what do we have here?" came a voice from the opposite side of the chamber. "Be you scavengers or thieves come to pick the bones of what has been long dead?"

"Who are you?" the young noble asked, already eying the newcomer with a distrustful fascination.

"My, my, you are so rude not to answer my question. Why are you here?"

The woman looked as wild as the place they were currently in. Her hair was blacker than Darkspawn blood and her golden eyes seemed to bore straight through to the soul. Upon her back was a mage's staff and her attitude was one of confidence. She saw the current invaders at a minor disturbance to the usual ebb and flow of the Wilds. She seemed to be studying the new arrivals carefully. She came to a stop before the elf, an amused scorn held on her features.

"You heard my question, did you not? Those knife ears are not merely for show, are they?"

Sanile fumed, but rather than taking action, she took a deep breath to control her anger. "We were sent to find the Grey Warden cache and return with the scrolls that it contained. We are neither. We are Grey Wardens. My name is Sanile."

"And you may call me Morrigan. I've watched you all for some time on your hike through the Wilds. I regrettably came to tell you that what you seek is no longer here." The ebony-haired woman told them, moving closer to the elf.

"Where could they have gone?" Elissa asked. "Did they sprout legs and walk away?"

"Don't make her angry!" Daveth hissed. "She's a Witch of the Wilds! She'll turn us into a frog, she will."

"The hell you say!" Elissa snorted in response to this. "I'd love to see her try."

Morrigan rolled her eyes as the two spoke in supposed secrecy. "While there are two women in your party, I see that you are the more sensible of the two." She said speaking to Sanile. "Don't you wish to know where the scrolls are?"

Before the blonde could answer, Alistair had come up beside her, drawing her attention. "Do you think it's wise to believe anything that she says? After all, she could be the one who took the scrolls to begin with and this is all some sort of elaborate trap. If that were the case, she would be the thief! You can't fool us you sneaky witch-thief!"

"You described it so eloquently, dear fool." Morrigan told him, rolling her eyes once more in disgust. "It was not I who stole your precious scrolls, but in fact, my mother took them. Their magical seals wore off years ago. I could take you to her."

"I don't think this is a good idea." Daveth said, looking at the dark-haired woman nervously. "She'll turn our lot into frogs and cook us in a stew."

"I'm willing to take the risk." Jory said. "Any place has got to be warmer than this one."

Elissa nodded. "I agree. Cold damp weather makes for illness. Besides, we need those scrolls to complete our trials."

Alistair approached Sanile cautiously. Two of their party members had been in favor of following the woman, no doubt an apostate, into the Wilds to find her old and probably senile and crazy mother. What if this was a trap? What if the old woman had destroyed the scrolls long ago? When Sanile looked up at him, she could see the conflict going on behind his eyes as if they were hazel windows to his soul. She placed her hand on his arm gently and smiled, trying to reassure him.

"Alistair, we have little other choice." She persuaded. "If we don't get the scrolls back, we can't pass the trials. It is important that we go through with the Joining. There is a battle to be fought and the Grey Wardens need all the help they can get."

"I…suppose you're right, Sanile. Duncan would be very disappointed if we came back without those scrolls. There is a battle to be fought. It will begin once night has fallen and settle in. Let us go so that we may return and continue with the Joining."

"Very well, Morrigan." Sanile spoke seriously. "Take us to your mother so we might learn the fate of these scrolls."

"Follow me, then. If you get lost, you may not be found again." The witch said as they moved off into the ever-growing mist.

Morrigan moved off into the trees, her entourage in tow. The walk was silent, though others wished to speak their minds. Daveth, for one, didn't think that they should be trusting a witch who had stolen Grey Warden documents. Then, if this woman was a witch, didn't that mean that her mother was a witch as well, perhaps more powerful than she? This whole scenario screamed 'bad idea'. Then there was Alistair. The brunette didn't think it was a particularly good idea to be trusting this woman of the Wilds, but knew that they had little choice and little chance otherwise of getting the Grey Warden scrolls back. They could fight their way out of a sticky situation if they had to. He just hoped that Sanile knew what she was doing.

The venture to their unknown destination didn't take that long in all reality. Morrigan had led them to a small hut in the middle of the swamp. As they came to a halt just outside, the door opened slowly to reveal an aged woman the straggly gray hair that fell to her shoulders. A knowing smile twisted her thin lips as her daughter joined her to gaze at the Wilds' intruders.

"Tell me, dear Morrigan, who have your brought us?"

"Grey Wardens, mother. They've come in search for the scrolls." The ebony-haired witch replied.

"So they have finally come for their treaties?" the old woman asked. "That would explain why they were wandering out in the Wilds."

Sanile cautiously took several steps toward the two. "Who are you? I'm sure that there was a reason you took them. You don't seem to be what you appear."

The woman cackled at the elf. "So brazen you are with your words. So this is one of the Dalish? They usually don't venture this far South. You are quite right, however. I am not. Since you were polite, I will tell you the reason for taking your documents and that a name hardly has any meaning."

"I knew it." Daveth hissed. "She's the witch of the Wilds! Oh she's going to stew us up for dinner!"

A grim look settled on Alistair's features as he stared at the old woman who'd refused to give her name. "What was the reason that you took the scrolls?"

"I took them because the protective seals wore off many years ago. I took them so that they might remain safe and hidden until the time they were needed."

"Oh." Alistair replied a bit lamely. "Well…thank you…for doing that."

The old woman cackled yet again. These youngsters were so entertaining. Morrigan, in the mean time, had disappeared into the hut. The old witch's tone became a more serious one as her gaze landed on the three individuals that stood up front; Sanile, Alistair, and Elissa. "The time will come when you will need these treaties. Keep them safe, Grey Wardens, for you will be what saves Ferelden."

All was silent when Morrigan reappeared. "All right, well, the stew is almost ready, mother." She said, turning her gaze to the lot in front of her. "Take care on your journey back through the Wilds."

"Come now, girl. Show these people some courtesy." Morrigan's mother harped. "They are your guests. You can kindly lead them out."

"Yes, mother. Follow me."

~*~

The sun had nearly set by the time the troupe had made it back to Ostagar. Sanile much more secure once she was beyond the gate and moving further into camp. The forest they'd just emerged from was nothing like the ones she'd known. Daveth, Jory, and Elissa had moved ahead to find Duncan, leaving the elf to trail behind. She was still some distance from the central fire when she pulled to a halt. Everything that had been familiar and safe to her had been lost in a period of four days. Her old life, her friends, her family; they'd all gone to the North and left her behind to take up this strange and perilous journey that she was currently on. The elf's train of thought was broken when the light, but firm, touch of a large warm hand came to rest on her shoulder.

"Are you all right?" the junior Grey Warden asked. "You seem a bit down in the mouth, as it were."

Sanile thought it best to plaster a false smile on her face to keep the morale up, but when she turned to see the concern that was written on the brunette's face, it was genuine. "I'm fine, Alistair. Thank you. I'm just, how do your people say it? Homesick, I think?"

"Oh! That would make perfect sense." The brunette said. "You've never been around this many humans, I imagine. I'm just sorry that your first experience had to be with an ill-tempered mage."

The elf's eyes widened in surprise and she let out a giggle. "If all shems are as kind as you, I don't think I'll have to worry."

"Uh…I…erm…thank you?" Alistair fumbled as he fought to keep his ears from turning red with embarrassment at the small compliment.

"Now, isn't Duncan waiting for us?"

Alistair chuckled lightly was he rested his hand on the top of her head, scrubbing her hair lightly. The blonde elf was strongly reminded of Tamlen by the action and couldn't help but smile to herself. The hand slid off the back of her head as the Grey Warden moved ahead of her toward the fire. Alistair seemed unsure of himself most of the time, but was very protective of the new recruits, female or no. Despite the bad humor and jokes, Alistair really was a caring person.

"Let's go. We've got the Joining ritual to perform."

Sanile jogged a bit to catch up with him. The other recruits looked on as they finally joined them at the central fire. Alistair joined Duncan at his side as Daveth sent him a crude catcall and stuck a thumb up to him. Needless to say pink stained his cheeks. Elissa snickered as the blonde joined her, muttering something about Alistair developing a quick infatuation with the Dalish woman. Duncan allowed the banter to continue a moment or two longer before interrupting.

"I can only assume that your return from the Wilds means that you have been successful." He said.

"You could say that." Alistair said, handing him the scrolls. "It took a bit more doing than we thought, but we got the scrolls."

Duncan nodded in relief. "Excellent. These scrolls are three ancient treaties signed by the king of Orzammar, the Circle of Magi, and the Dalish elves. These treaties were signed centuries ago with the promise of aid should another Blight arise. The king doubts that this is a true Blight, but we mustn't assume the best. The Darkspawn have lain quiet for too long. Now, if there are no questions, please accompany us to the center chamber of the ruins. Alistair, you go on ahead and prepare the ritual."

The brunette nodded and was gone quickly. Duncan looked to the four recruits and motioned for them to follow. They began a slow procession toward the center chamber. Large groups of soldiers paused in their activities to watch as they passed, as if paying respects to them. This display quickly rose suspicions in the two women. Elissa and Sanile led the procession with a certain cornered confidence. Silence was the only noise that greeted them as they entered the chamber. A decent-sized wooden table had been placed in the otherwise empty chamber and four chalices had been set upon it. Alistair stood against the far wall with his back resting against the wall and one ankle perched against the other.

"We have come now to the Joining. It is a secret ritual known only to the Grey Wardens and must be followed through. In these chalices are the vials of Darkspawn blood that you have collected. To become a Grey Warden, some of you might make your sacrifice now rather than later." Duncan spoke gently.

"You mean we drink the blood?" Jory asked, his voice shaking. "This is absurd. I have a wife and a child on the way."

"Yes, but you must think of your pretty wife when you do this." Daveth said. "If it meant ending the Blight, I'd sacrifice a lot more."

Elissa nodded in agreement. "I don't have much more to sacrifice, but I'm with Daveth on this one."

"I don't see how sacrifice gains anything." Sanile muttered. "Sacrifice causes gaping wounds that only fade to scars later, but I must agree."

Duncan moved toward the table, picking up the first chalice. He turned to face the four as he set his eyes on one. "Step forward, Daveth."

The dark-haired man exchanged glances with his companions before stepping forward and taking the chalice from Duncan's grasp. His face screwed in determination as he raised the object to his lips. The burning in his throat quickly spread to the rest of his innards. Fire lit every nerve ending in his body as the poison moved quickly.

Sanile, Elissa, and Jory looked on in horror as screams of pain and incomprehensible gurgles escaped Daveth's mouth. His unseeing eyes roved the area for help, blinded by a milky coating. A few rattling and rasping breaths escaped the man as he ceased to breathe altogether. Daveth's corpse collapsed on the stone and did not move again. Duncan looked away from him sadly.

"I am sorry, Daveth." He said, "Step forward, Ser Jory."

Jory had seen what had happened to Daveth and did not take himself to be a fool. "You can't force me to drink the blood. I've got a wife; a child. I've too much to risk."

The Grey Warden approached the Redcliffe knight who was now backing away. "You have no choice. Once you have seen the secret of the Joining, you cannot leave."

"I won't drink it! I have to live!" Jory pleaded, backed against the wall. He knocked the chalice away quickly.

Duncan shook his head sadly as he removed one of the swords on his back. He approached Jory slowly, letting him take in what was about to happen. The man before him was begging and pleading to be released; to be allowed to go home. The begging fell on deaf ears as the blade ran straight through his stomach. Elissa watched with a sort of scorned pity. Sanile clenched her eyes closed and turned her head. Blood spurted from Jory's mouth as he choked. Dunan removed his sword, placing it back in its sheath.

"I am sorry, Jory." He murmured, taking the third chalice and handing it to Elissa. "Drink now, my dear. There is no turning back."

The woman with hair the color of pitch felt her eyes harden as the liquid passed over her lips. The burning in her throat quickly spread to the rest of her body as her lips twisted in a snarl. "Is this…all the Maker…has? I…won't…die."

The same milky coating hid the color of her eyes as she fell to the ground. Duncan knelt down next to her and checked for a pulse. Looking up to Alistair, he nodded. The young Lady Cousland was a strong woman. She would survive the Darkspawn taint to become a Grey Warden. The only one left standing, Sanile felt Duncan's eyes shift to her. A nauseous feeling entered her stomach as she looked to Alistair, who'd since moved to her side. There was nothing else to do. She had to drink the Darkspawn blood or be killed. The elf took the chalice offered to her by Duncan.

"There is no turning back now, Sanile. Drink."

Sanile closed her eyes as the liquid passed over her lips. The elf doubled over in pain as she wrapped her arms over her middle. The Creator was indeed testing her. The images that flashed through her mind were horrific and beautiful at the same time. A large serpent arched its long neck, throwing its head back to release a cry of rage and cloud of flame; a dragon. Pain swirled about her head as she saw the massive numbers of Darkspawn beneath the dragon, as if following its unspoken commands. Sanile's hands flew from her middle to her head, clutching it in pain. She felt her knees giving out as the dragon's song echoed through her head, tapping into some unknown part of her brain. The blonde forced her eyes open, but found only darkness. Fear crept over her as she desperately called for Alistair and Duncan, but got no reply. There was one more name that rolled off of her tongue in vain, for she knew no one would ever answer to that again.

"Tamlen!"

~*~

For the second time in her life, she awoke with her body wracked in pain. Through groggy vision, Sanile saw three faces staring down out her. She recognized them as Duncan, Elissa, and Alistair. The shadows on their faces indicated that the moon had finally risen and night had fallen. Elissa grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. The blonde elf shook her head to clear her vision and looked around her, remembering her two fallen comrades.

"You have survived the Joining." Duncan said. "Welcome to the Grey Wardens, Sanile. I am glad that you survived. Are you feeling better?"

"If you ignore the muscle pain and the horrible visions, then yes. I'm just dandy." She said smugly.

"I'm glad at least you two survived." Alistair murmured, hanging his head. "There weren't so many deaths at my Joining. I made this for you while you were unconscious."

Sanile took the small vial of black liquid that had been attached to a silver chain. It resembled the Darkspawn blood she'd drank a bit earlier. It must have been what had remained of it. Alistair confirmed this notion, saying that it was a way to remember all of those who didn't make it. She quickly fastened it around her neck and turned to Duncan with further instructions.

"I want the two of you to take a moment or two to clear your heads and then meet me at the king's table. We'll discuss the plans for the upcoming battle there."

The two women watched as Duncan left the ruins. Alistair gave them one last glance before moving to the doorway and waiting for them. Sanile exchanged glances with Elissa and moved toward one of the windows. In the forests below was the glowing fog that rose from the ground. The horde was waiting for them. Battle was upon their doorstep and there was nothing they could do about it. Elissa had moved beside her, gazing at the thing that had caught her attention.

"A few days ago, I'd never have imagined that I'd be a Grey Warden." The noblewoman stated. "I'd never have imagined fighting Darkspawn. This would've been some horrid nightmare beyond imagination."

"I know what you mean." Sanile agreed. "I'd have still been with my clan and my brother would still be alive. I don't think things could've gone more wrong."

Elissa sighed as she shook her head. "We're all here on a personal level then. My family was murdered by Arl Howe. My brother, Fergus, had left for Ostagar that day, so he escaped. He's off scouting the Wilds, so I won't be able to deliver the news to him until after the battle. His wife and son…both gone."

"That's horrible." Sanile cringed. "My clan brother, Tamlen, and I were exploring some ruins near our camp and we came across an ancient relic; a mirror. I think Tamlen saw the Darkspawn on the other side and was drawn to the mirror, like something was calling him. He touched it and that's all I remember. I awoke two days later to find that I had been tainted. Duncan was the one that found me. We searched for Tamlen, but never found him. We were told to believe that he was dead because he'd been left two days long than I had and the illness would've killed him."

"It was Duncan who helped me escape." The ebony-haired woman admitted. "I was forced to leave my mother and father behind. My father was already wounded badly and my mother vowed to stay by his side until she could fight no more."

The blonde stole a glance at her fellow Grey Warden. "My surrogate mother tried to keep the truth of my parents' deaths a secret from me. What she did not know was that there were others who were willing to talk about it. My mother and father were from two different clans when they fell in love. My father was the Keeper of my clan. My mother had only recently discovered that she was with child when a group of shemlen attacked us. My father was killed in the raid. My mother returned to her clan for the remainder of her pregnancy and after she delivered me. A was but a few months old when she wandered off into the forest and did not return. Her heart was broken and many were convinced that she'd gone to join my father. Her clan did not want me, so I was returned to my father's clan. My surrogate mother, Ashalle, and Hahren Paivel looked after me until I was grown."

"It seems that we all bear dark pasts, does it not?" Elissa asked. "Perhaps our days will get brighter after this battle is over. Who knows? We may even find ourselves husbands while we're on this journey."

Sanile snorted. "As if there were even a man alive who could handle you. You are strong and smart. I doubt there's any man in Ferelden who would compare with that."

Elissa giggled. "I could say the same for you, only that may be a lie. Men aren't easily attracted by strong women. I know little on the subject. Perhaps we should ask one who knows."

The two women looked at one another, exchanging broad grins before calling out in unison. "Alistair!"

The brunette looked over to them in surprise before making his way from the far end of the chamber. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Oh nothing. Everything is fine." Sanile said with a smile. "We only wished to ask you a question."

Alistair studied to two women, who were wearing similar grins on their lips. "This cannot be good. What is your question?"

"Are men attracted to strong women?" Elissa asked innocently. "You're a man. We thought you might know the answer."

"What kind of question is that?" Alistair yelped, his face easily matching the color of the hot coals in a fire. "Why did you have to ask me?"

"You're the only man we know still living who would be comfortable enough to answer that question." Elissa said honestly.

"Please?" Sanile pouted, turning on her innocent charm. She had used this many times to persuade Tamlen. "We're just curious, Alistair, and only you can answer this for us!"

The junior Grey Warden groaned, but was thinking of how to carefully word his answer. That quivering pout was too much to say no to. "Well…men are often intimidated by strong women. It takes getting to know the woman underneath the strength for a man to be attracted to her."

A mischievous spark glinted in Elissa's eyes before she looped her arm with Sanile's. "Well, you'll just have to have a nice long chat with Lady Elf here once the battle's over now, won't you?"

Alistair was left sputtering as the noblewoman laughed heartily, dragging the Dalish woman with her down the stairs toward the king's table. Duncan and King Calen were already present. Teryn Logaine was also there leaning over a map and reiterating various strategies. When Duncan turned his attention to the two women that were approaching, Calen and Logaine also turned their attentions. King Calen smiled as the two rounded the table to stand on either side of Duncan.

"I hear that congratulations are in order for the two newest Grey Wardens. I'm sorry that it couldn't have come at a better time. We were just discussing the strategies for the upcoming battle. Now, Logaine, can you go over it one more time?"

The dark-haired man gave off a cold aura as he growled low in his throat. "Your majesty, why is it that we are forced to rely on the Grey Wardens for help? We could easily defeat the Darkspawn with our armies."

"We are here in case the Archdemon decides to make an appearance." Duncan replied calmly.

"Archdemon? I doubt this is even a true Blight, your highness. Do you remember our plan?" Logaine asked, his eyes cutting dangerously to the senior Grey Warden.

Calen sighed in a weary manner. "I lead the attack from the ground with the archers, the mabari, and the Grey Wardens. The signal fire will be lit in the Tower of Ishal. When the beacon is lit, you will send in your men to reinforce us, Logaine."

"Yes, King Calen. I have several men appointed to the task of lighting the beacon."

"I think it would be best if the new Grey Wardens were to take on this task. That way, all of your men will be at your disposal."

"Your highness, I don't think it's wise to trust the Grey Wardens with such an important task. They are looking for bloodshed." Logaine snapped viciously.

It was Sanile who spoke up at this comment. "With all due respect, your majesty, my fellow Grey Warden and I will give this task highest priority. It is critical that it be lit at the precise moment. We will do as you ask."

The fair-haired king smiled. "Thank you, Ser Sanile. You will make a fine Grey Warden. We have our duties and the plan is mapped out for us. Battle is upon us and there will be much blood that is spilled this night. Fare you well, Grey Wardens. Until we meet after the battle is won."

The three Grey Wardens looked on as King Calen and Teryn Logaine made their way back through the ruins to their positions. Logaine didn't trust them to carry out their parts in the battle. It was easy to see his wrongly-placed distrust. Duncan let out a heavy sigh as he turned to face his two female Grey Wardens. Both were so young. Both could easily die in this battle. Determination welled within him as he made his decision. He would send Alistair with them, though he had his own, different reasons for that. The three twenty-something-year-olds could take care of each other and themselves. He believed that they could.

"Elissa, Sanile bring Alistair to the central fire pit. We will discuss the details of your task there. The three of you will be in charge of lighting the signal fire. I trust that you will be quick about it." He said in all seriousness.

* * *

Well, chapter two is completed. I didn't go into too much detail with Morrigan and Flemeth because there will be more with them in the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. I just wanted you to know that I didn't hold up to my word on waiting to get ten reviews to post the next chapter. Reviews do make me happy though ;)

_Next Chapter:_

_The battle of Ostagar_

_Lighting of Tower signal_

_Grey Wardens rescued_

_Character specials: Sanile, Elissa, and Alistair dream memories_

_The cause is revealed_

_Morrigan joins the party_

_Enter Lothering_


	3. Calling

**Author's Note****: Greetings all! I'm sorry that it took so long to get chapter three out! I've recently been busy with my good friend, Raven, finishing up our Gundam Wing fic, Heavy Metal, and starting the sequel, Heavy Metal Book II: Legacy Virus. We've also been busy working on Legends of Darkness Book II. If you're curious, they're posted under the co-written user name Shiratori-Strife-Inc. Anyway, I hope you enjoy chapter three and I'm hoping to get chapter four out faster than this one. Arigatou gozaimasu!!! ^_^**

**Disclaimer: All standard disclaimers apply: I do not own Dragon Age: Origins or any of its characters. Sanile and Elissa are mine, however. I also don't own the song used in this chapter. _"The Howling"_ belongs to Within Temptation.**

Chapter 3

Alistair had been settling some things with the quartermaster when his two fellow Grey Wardens made their way toward him. The serious expressions that set their faces was enough warning for him that whatever news they were bearing was not good. Elissa was about to speak when Sanile stopped her with a look. The blonde looked to her fellow Grey Warden and nodded toward the fire as she turned in the same direction. Alistair quickly joined her on her left as they moved toward the center of the camp.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Did the meeting not go well?"

"It went just fine if you call practically fighting Loghaine 'well'." Elissa snorted.

The brunette looked at her with an eyebrow cocked. "What? That had to be you. No one else I know would try to argue with the teryn."

Sanile shook her head. "The teryn was trying to start an argument with Duncan. Duncan wasn't taking the bait.

"Yes, it was actually your golden-haired elf princess who put Loghaine in his place quite diplomatically." The noblewoman tattled, tossing her shoulder-length black hair.

"What?" Alistair asked. "You put the Teryn Loghaine in his place? You either have some sort of magical powers or you're a lot braver than I thought, Sanile."

"I didn't put him in his place. I merely told him that the Grey Wardens deserved more credit than what he gave. I put no one in their place." Sanile said, trying to sort out the reality of the situation.

"So I'm assuming that you two didn't come to fetch me because you wanted my company." The brunette said.

Elissa let out a little cackle at this comment. "You know what they happens when you assume, don't you, Alistair? Lucky for you that you assumed right. We've been sent to fetch you because Duncan would like a word with us."

Sanile, who'd been quiet until then, nodded in agreement. "Well, he's probably going to give us the details of lighting the beacon at the top of the Tower of Ishal. I hardly think that it'll be that difficult, but Duncan thinks this task is important enough for us to handle."

"I'm beginning to understand why Loghaine was trying to pick a fight. He didn't take too well to his men being indirectly called incompetent." Alistair said.

"Good, you've found Alistair." Duncan said, making his way past them toward the fire. "Let us discuss our plan for the battle."

The three Grey Wardens stood attentively for their next instructions. None of them had been in a battle of this caliber before. The troops that had amassed in the ruins of Ostagar were now moving out in battalions across the bridge to the fields below. The battle that had hardly seemed real that afternoon was now upon them. Soldiers were making sure their blades moved freely to and from the sheathes, that their shields were tightly attached and arrows were snug in their quivers. They were quickly moving toward the bridge.

Duncan looked seriously at them, examining them carefully. He had faith that they could complete this task that was about to be given to them. "I have a different task for the three of you that will be just as important as the battle itself if not more so."

"You mean we won't be fighting in the battle with you?" Alistair asked, a bit distraught.

"No, Alistair. The three of you will be climbing the Tower of Ishal to light the beacon. Once the signal fire is lit, that will be Teryn Loghain's signal to bring in the reinforcements."

"I was looking forward to slaying some Darkspawn." Elissa pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Looks like I'll have to put it off until later."

"Right now you'll be out of the battle. You're more than welcome to join it once the beacon is lit. I have to join the other Grey Wardens at the front lines." Duncan said, turning to leave. "You'll have about an hour to reach the top of the tower and light the beacon."

The three nodded as their leader headed off into the throngs of soldiers. He was quickly lost from sight as they exchanged anxious glances. Checking all of their weapons, they moved toward the bridge. Sanile was the first to reach the archway, stopping to survey changes from earlier briefly. Soldiers were scrambling around the bridge to the ballistas that had been set up to line the edges. The elf set her jaw as she looked to her companions. A horn sounded somewhere below to signal the start of battle. They moved to the edge nearest to them to see what was going on in the fields.

Torches glowed like fireflies as the various shouts and cries rose through the air. Steel meeting steel echoed through the valley the three slowly stepped onto the stone bridge. It was only a matter of moments before the boulders and other projectiles began flying through the air, knocking out chunks of the bridge. The elf looked to her companions as the sounds of battle rose up through the air from below. Her jaw was set and her lips pursed into a straight line.

"I suppose now is as good a time as any to head to the tower. We've got an hour to get the signal fire lit and if we encounter any Darkspawn along the way, they'll only slow us down." Sanile said.

"Thanks for repeating the orders, elf princess." Elissa said, rolling her eyes. "All the Darkspawn are below us, but let's keep that in mind. What about you, Alistair?"

The brunette rolled his neck and tried to rid himself of the growing tension. "Let's just get going. I have a bad feeling that this isn't going to be as easy as we think."

"I agree." Sanile nodded, moving forward. "We're wasting time."

The trio headed across the bridge at a quick pace. They'd just passed the second ballista when a large projectile crashed into the bridge. The stone was jarred severely as a section was knocked away. Alistair was the first to his feet, shaking his head to rid himself of the ringing in his ears. Elissa was on her feet next, steadying herself when the bridge was shaken a second time. When Sanile had yet to rise, Alistair reached down and grabbed her hand, proceeding to haul her to her feet.

"Come on, Sanile." He said, releasing her. "We've got to get out of here before the fire gets any worse."

"Right then, let's go."

~*~

As darkness had fallen, hundreds of men stood before a thin stretch of trees that seemed to be emanating mist. Growls and snarls floated from somewhere further in as the trees seemed to be moving. Fear radiated throughout the ranks as sound of approaching feet came closer. There was no pulling back now. The enemy was upon their doorstep. In an instant, hundreds of dark, misshapen forms began emerging from the trees. The archers knocked their arrows and pulled back their bowstrings on an unspoken command.

"Archers!" the cry rang out across the battlefield. "Fire!"

**_We've been seeing what you wanted, got us cornered right now_**

**_Fallen asleep from our vanity, might cost us our lives_**

**_I hear them getting closer_**

**_Their howls are sending chills down my spine_**

**_Our time is running out now_**

**_They're coming down the hills from behind_**

Arrows fell in lethal shower upon the heads of the enemies. A number of Darkspawn collapsed to the ground in mid step. It seemed that for every one that fell, there was another to take its place. As the archers prepared for another round of fire, the enemy lines drew closer. A voice, in the mean time, rose above the din of oncoming battle. The next command was issued.

"Release the hounds!"

The Mabari were released, their growls indicating that they had one function and that was to kill. The hounds gave little notice as they took damage. They were content to charge into battle and chew the advancing Darkspawn to pieces. One certain Mabari, who'd been healed recently, leapt onto the closest Hurlock and proceeded to rip out the creature's throat and jugular. When the body beneath him fell, he sprung to the next enemy. There were plenty to choose from.

**_When we start killing_**

**_It's all coming down right now_**

**_From the nightmare we've created_**

**_I want to be awakened somehow_**

**_When we start killing_**

**_It all will be falling down_**

**_From the Hell that we're in_**

**_All we are is fading away_**

**_When we start killing_**

Cutting through another Hurlock, Sanile snarled as she felt the creature's blood splatter upon her face. The elf panted as she looked to her other companions. The Darkspawn had somehow managed to enter the Tower of Ishal through the lower levels. A mage and one of the tower guards had joined them in ridding the tower of the Darkspawn. The extra help had made a big difference in the long run. There was no way that the three of them alone would've been able to get this into the structure on their own.

Sanile rounded on the balls of her feet, cleaving her daggers into the back of a genlock that was moving to attack the turned back of Elissa. The noblewoman panted as she turned around, nodding her thanks. The elf felt her eyes searching the rest of the chamber for their other fellow Grey Warden. Alistair was by the door to the next chamber, flicking the blood from his sword as the body of a Hurlock fell to the ground, beheaded.

"How did so many of these things manage to get into the tower?" he asked. "I thought they'd all be on the battlefield."

"Weren't you just complaining about not seeing any action?" Elissa asked with a snort.

"True." The brunette said. "I didn't think we'd be this busy with the Darkspawn though."

The tower guard shook his head. "I'm glad you three showed up when you did. We wouldn't have been able to rid the tower of these things otherwise. Through this door should be the stairway that takes us to the signal chamber. You'll be able to light the fire then."

Alistair nodded to his friends as he headed through the door, followed by Sanile and Elissa. The guard and the mage were close behind them as the male Grey Warden seemed to freeze in his tracks, his whole body tensing. Sanile moved around beside him, having a similar reaction. The signal was no more than ten feet in front of them, but there was a rather large obstacle in their path. A large ogre took another bite out of the corpse in its massive hand before acknowledging their presence. When it set its eyes on them, a loud roar filled the chamber and echoed through the surrounding halls.

**_We've been searching all night long but there's no trace to be found_**

**_It's like they all have just vanished, but I know they're around_**

**_I feel they're getting closer_**

**_Their howls are sending chills down my spine_**

**_Our time is running out now_**

**_They're coming down the hills from behind_**

King Cailen stood behind the ranks, his gaze fixed on the onslaught of Darkspawn before them. "I know that all of you are afraid. Do not let yourselves be ruled by that fear. As we go into battle, remember that we fight to save our country. For Ferelden!"

A loud roaring cheer rose from the soldiers as they broke ranks and broke upon the Darkspawn like a wave. The bodies of humans and Darkspawn alike fell to the ground as they exchanged blows. The field erupted into chaos in a matter of moments. The grass was quickly covered in a thick coat of vermillion as the casualties rose. Duncan felt his skin burning as the Darkspawn blood was soaking through his clothing. Another horn sounded from somewhere in the trees. That must've been the signal from the Hurlock Alpha.

Another wave of Darkspawn burst forth from the trees as their forces were wearing down. The ground seemed to tremble at the giant steps that were coming toward them. There next enemy was a sizeable one. Trees cracked and splintered as the ogre alpha reared its head back and roared as it came lumbering toward them. Duncan's growl was the only external sign of irritation that he gave. Alistair and the others had to be close to the signal by now. The Darkspawn had to be held off just a bit longer.

**_When we start killing_**

**_It's all coming down right now_**

**_From the nightmare we've created_**

**_I want to be awakened somehow_**

**_When we start killing_**

**_It all will be falling down_**

**_From the Hell that we're in_**

**_All we are is fading away_**

**_When we start killing_**

**_When we start killing_**

The five warriors concentrated all of their energy on the ogre before them. The thing was able to take them out in a single swipe of its gigantic hand. One such swipe had taken out all of them except Sanile. The elf had rolled under the appendage and landed in a cat-like crouch, springing from the balls of her feet. Sinking her daggers into the purplish skin of the creature's thigh, a thunderous pained cry split the air as a giant hand swung down, grabbing the elf in its fingers and lifting her up.

Sanile braced her hands on either side of her flesh prison and attempted to pull her body from the clenched fingers. The ogre clenched its fingers together as it growled, tightening its grip on the small being in its grasp. The blonde cried out as her body was being crushed. Despite the pressure that had been applied to all of her bones and organs, Sanile still tried to remove herself from the ogre's hand. The creature's grip only continued to tighten as the elf struggled to free herself.

"Sanile!" Alistair shouted as he finally jumped to his feet.

Sprinting over to the large Darkspawn, he made his way around to the creature's back and managed to run up the bend of the ogre's leg. The brunette sunk his sword into the soft spot between the ogre's shoulder blades and used it as a foot hold to climb to its shoulder. Pulling the blade free, Alistair sunk it into the base of the skull. The ogre howled in pain as it flung Sanile into the wall. Alistair let out an enraged cry as he drove his sword into the top of its skull, leaping free of the body as it fell, dead. He rushed to the elf's side as she lay unconscious in Elissa's arms. The noblewoman proceeded to slap the smaller woman's face, which caused her to groan in response.

"Is she all right, Elissa?" Alistair asked, sheathing his sword quickly.

"Sanile's probably got a few broken ribs and I wouldn't be surprised if she's got cranial damage from the impact with the wall. She's still breathing if that's what you mean." Elissa stated, slapping her again.

Sanile pulled her eyes open, her pupil's dilated. "I hurt all over." She ground out. "Did we win?"

Alistair let a laugh escape as he pulled her to her feet. "The ogre's dead, if that's what you mean. I'm going to light the signal fire now."

"Good, then I can find a mage to heal my injuries." Sanile hissed as she doubled over, her torso on fire from the inside. "I hate to say it, but this really hurts."

"I'm sure it does, elf princess." Elissa said, helping to stand her friend upright.

"Why do you call me that anyway?"

Elissa smirked before she answered, her gaze following Alistair as he moved to light the signal. "You just look prissy. You carry yourself differently than anyone I've ever seen. You act like royalty sometimes."

Sanile blushed at this. "I don't mean to. It's just how I am." She said, sinking back to the stone floor. "I'm sorry. I don't think that I can move."

"I didn't think you'd be able to." The black-haired woman commented. "I was surprised that you even stood up."

Alistair was just rejoining them as Elissa called out to him. "You look pale, Sanile. We have to get your wounds looked at."

"Don't you think we know that, you idiot?" Elissa hissed. "We've got to get out of here before any more Darkspawn show up. Now pick her up so we can get out of here."

The brunette flushed a bit as he knelt down and scooped the elf into his arms. As the group turned to exit the chamber, a swarm of Darkspawn blocked their path. Sanile let her feet touch the ground as she made to draw her weapons once again. The motion was stopped by an arrow to the shoulder and a second embedding itself above her collarbone. She gasped as fell backward. Through her darkening vision, she saw her companions being quickly overtaken. Just before the void swallowed her, she swore that she could see large wings unfurling themselves over her.

On the battlefield, Duncan gasped for breath as he tried to focus on the enemies before him. They had been overwhelmed. Shifting his helpless gaze to the tower that overshadowed them, the beacon gleamed brightly, sending a message of hope that help was on the way. Why was it, then, that reinforcements never came? As Duncan sprung to his feet to aid the king, one thought crossed his mind. They'd been double-crossed.

**_I feel they're getting closer_**

**_Their howls are sending chills down my spine_**

**_Our time is running out now_**

**_They're coming down the hills from behind_**

The Teryn shifted his stony gaze to the light that had just flickered to life at the top of the tower. The Grey Wardens had succeeded in their task. Loghain's eyes moved back to the battlefield below. There was naught but carnage below. He could barely see the Grey Warden named Duncan crouched over the broken body of King Cailen. The golden-headed man did not move. He didn't break his stare as he issued his next order.

"Men, I order a retreat. There's nothing more that we can do here."

Teryn Loghain's second command and loyal bodyguard, a dark-haired woman, furrowed her brow in confusion. "But sir, the king—"

"It's too late for him. We must save the lives of our men. Move out!"

The Teryn's men exchanged looks with one another before following their commander's orders. They began to move away from the destruction of the battlefield toward their homes in Denerim. The Darkspawn had won this battle. There'd be another battle in the future when they could collect more reinforcements. The Grey Wardens were certainly wrong about this invasion of Darkspawn being a true Blight.

**_The sun is rising_**

**_The screams have gone_**

**_Too many have fallen_**

**_Few still stand tall_**

**_Is this the ending of what we've begun?_**

**_Will we remember what we've done wrong?_**

Two figures watched the massacre of the soldiers and Grey Wardens below them. Both were mages outside the circle. The younger of the two narrowed her golden eyes as the signal fire leapt to life at the top of the tower. The older noted the movement of the reinforcements away from the battlefield. They were leaving their companions to die.

"Mother, I do believe there are survivors in the tower."

"I believe that you are right, Morrigan. Those Grey Wardens will be needed in the dark days to come. I think a helping claw is in order."

The old woman shifted her form in a matter of seconds to that of a giant bird. Stretching her wings to their fullest span, the witch known as Flemeth took to the air. Her daughter sat at her head as they flew to the top of the Tower of Ishal. With a quick change of the air current, the bird crashed through the stone ceiling and scattered the Darkspawn in her wake. Two of the Grey Wardens were unconscious on the floor while the third was losing her remaining strength. Her hazel gaze landed on Morrigan and widened in surprise.

"What in the name of Andraste's blood…"

"Do you want to be rescued or not, girl?" the dark-haired mage snapped as she grabbed her wrist, pulling her onto the giant bird's back.

"What about—"

"We've got them." Morrigan said quickly, looking to the ground. Flemeth had secured the other two in her claws and was taking to the air once again.

Elissa looked around her once they'd cleared the tower. Smoke rose from ruins of Ostagar as the Darkspawn continued to invade. There were countless bodies scattered on the ground and few were still moving. The noblewoman clenched her eyes closed as she felt the blow to her head finally taking hold. They'd lost. As she felt herself losing consciousness, she felt herself fill with panic and sadness.

"Fergus…"

**_When we start killing_**

**_It's all coming down right now_**

**_From the nightmare we've created_**

**_I want to be awakened somehow_**

**_When we start killing_**

**_It all will be falling down_**

**_From the Hell that we're in_**

**_All we are is fading away_**

**_When we start killing_**

**_When we start killing_**

**_When we start killing_**

~*~

_Once again, he was stuck in the kitchen scouring the pots. A boy of thirteen or fourteen sighed in discontentment as he dipped his rag back into the soapy water. The brothers just didn't enjoy a good joke. No one understood his sense of humor. A chuckle broke him from his dismal duties as he looked up to see who'd entered the doorway._

_"What have you done this time, Alistair? This is the fourth time this week that you've been made to do kitchen duty."_

_The brunette studied the sixteen-year-old before snorting. "It's not my fault that no one here can take a joke, Kalvin. I don't know why they don't like my practical jokes."_

_Kalvin chuckled to himself. "Maybe it's because you don't know when to quit?"_

_"Me? Quit? Never. I don't give up and you know that." Alistair replied with a grin._

_"You're hopeless. You'll never make it to taking your vows at this rate, Alistair. What are you going to do?" Kalvin asked, leaning his shoulder against the doorframe._

_"You want me to be honest? I don't want to be a Templar. I'd much rather be a Grey Warden." The boy stated, a shine entering his eyes. "They help everyone and they're heroes, just like all the stories say!"_

_"You're serious?" Kalvin asked. "No way. You're barely making it as a Templar in training. How would you ever make it as a Grey Warden?"_

_"I'll show you, Kalvin. I'll be a Grey Warden one day. You just wait and see."_

_~*~_

_"But your excellence!" Alistair protested loudly. "I've been selected as a Grey Warden recruit! I have to go!"_

_The Grand Cleric scowled at the twenty-five year old Templar in front of her. "You will do no such thing, Alistair. You have not taken your vows yet, but you are still under my command. You will not be permitted to follow the Grey Warden, Duncan."_

_"If Duncan is looking for recruits, then that means that the Darkspawn are moving again. There is a bigger threat to worry about than apostates! Can't you see that?" the brunette asked in a strained voice to keep from shouting._

_"My answer is final, Alistair. You will not join the Grey Wardens. Is that clear?" the revered mother hissed, leaning forward in her chair._

_Alistair was about to continue his protest when the door opened slowly behind him. He turned to around to see Duncan enter the room with a piece of parchment in his hand. "Forgive my interruption, but I have something for you, revered mother."_

_The highest woman in the Chantry took the scroll with a scowl twisting her features as she unrolled it and began to read. "I should have known, Duncan. You've invoked the Right of Conscription. I have no choice but to hand Alistair over to you. You couldn't just leave him to the Chantry, could you?"_

_"I didn't invoke the Right to spite you, Grand Cleric. Alistair has immense potential as a Grey Warden recruit. Now, if you'll excuse us, there is a lot to be done. Come, is there anything you need other than your weapons, Alistair?"_

_"No, nothing." The brunette replied as he turned to follow the Grey Warden out._

**~*~**

_"It's not fair that you get to learn weapons training and I don't, Fergus!" a small eight year old girl whined._

_"I'm older than you, Elissa. You're a girl anyway. Why do you want to use a sword?" the twelve year old boy asked._

_Elissa pouted as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I want to learn because you are, Fergus! I want to be able to help father out too!"_

_Fergus laughed as he ruffled her black hair. "I'm sure one of the instructors will teach you. You're not quite old enough yet, though."_

_"Can you teach me what you've learned, Fergus? Please?" the child begged. "Please?"_

_The older boy contemplated this request carefully. "All right. I'll teach you what I know, but if you get hurt, you can't tattle to mother and father."_

_"I promise!" Elissa squealed. "I need a sword."_

_"Here." Fergus said, handing her a dagger. "This should do. Now, the most important thing for a swordsman to learn is the stance. Your stance is very important to your balance. If you try to block a blow without the proper stance, you'll be knocked off your feet."_

_The youngest Cousland tried to mimic the stance to the best ability. Her face was screwed in concentration as she lifted the dagger to a neutral position. Fergus nodded in approval as he took his stance opposite from her. When he raised his sword, he studied his younger sister carefully._

_"Now, I'm going to go through the motions for you very slowly for you. You've never held a weapon before so this will help you get used to the movements." The taller brunette said._

_Very slowly, Fergus thrust his blade forward. Elissa was quick to block it and push him away. The next move he made was a swipe. The small girl ducked and lunged forward, attempting to get a blow in on her brother. Fergus maneuvered out of the way slowly enough so that she could see how it was done. Elissa duplicated the move, albeit a bit more sloppily, when he attempted to strike her. They continued this way for quite some time until they both collapsed on their rears from fatigue._

_"You know, Lissa, you could be really good at this if you keep at it. I think you should stick with it."_

_"Mother and Father won't let me." Elissa said quietly after she caught her breath. "I'm a girl and a noble. They won't let me continue."_

_Fergus was quiet for a moment in thought. "Then let me teach you in secret. As I learn more, I'll teach you what I know. There's no harm in that, right?"_

_"Will you really?" Elissa asked excitedly as she threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you so much, Fergus! I knew I loved you for some reason!"_

_"Gee, thanks, Elissa."_

_~*~_

_Upon her mother's request, Elissa made her way to the central chamber of their estate to meet with her. She'd been told several days ago that Lady Landra and her son, Dairren, would be arriving some time after noon today and was assuming that they had arrived. As she entered the chamber, she spotted her mother and brother quickly, Lady Landra and Dairren standing on the other side of them._

_"Ah, there you are Elissa. Where have you been, my child?" her mother asked._

_Elissa fought to keep from rolling her eyes as she flicked at her dark hair with her hand. "I've been brushing up on battle strategies, mother. I have to do something to keep my mind from turning to porridge."_

_The teryna sent a pointed look at her sixteen year old daughter. "You'll have to excuse her, Lady Landra. Elissa doesn't have any other young ladies to associate with."_

_The other woman laughed heartily. "There's nothing wrong with that. I'm quite impressed with Dairren's improved swordsmanship. He's gotten quite good."_

_"How lovely!" Eleanor remarked. "Perhaps he would like to demonstrate this improvement with Fergus?"_

_"I don't know, mother—" Fergus began._

_"I'll challenge him." Elissa said innocently with a small smile._

_All eyes turned to her as if she'd grown a second head. Her mother's expression had darkened. "Don't be ridiculous, child. You know nothing of sword fighting."_

_"I accept your challenge, Lady Cousland." Dairren said with a smirk. "I promise that I won't be too hard on you."_

_Elissa smirked as she drew her sword from behind her shield. Once Dairren had drawn his, the match was on. The two nobles engaged in an intricate dance of blades. Blows were exchanged and parried. Swipes were dodged. Elissa toyed with Dairren for a while longer before moving in for the finish. She switched from graceful fencing techniques to the more ferocious attacks used in battle. It was only a matter of minutes before she had Dairren on the ground and the point of her blade touching the soft underside of his throat. When she raised her sword, the young man rolled away quickly, a frightened look plastered on his face._

_"Very good, Lady Elissa!" Lady Landra said, clapping gently. "You truly are a battle maid!"_

_"Thank you, Lady Landra." Elissa said with a bow. "I've been training for years."_

_Lady Landra chuckled. "You've been trained well."_

_"Yes." Eleanor said flatly. "You'll do well to explain this to me later, Elissa. For now, you are dismissed. Fergus, you may go as well, even though I think you had a hand in this."_

_Elissa rolled her eyes. "Yes mother. As you wish. Come along, Fergus. We've got some new sets to go over."_

**_~*~_**

_"Tamlen!" the six year old elf girl cried in protest. "You're not being fair! I helped with the halla yesterday!"_

_The brunette seven year old laughed as he looked back over his shoulder. "You're the youngest! We decided that since you're three months younger than the rest of us, you should do what we tell you."_

_"That's not fair." The girl pouted. "Can't you please help me, Tamlen? We'll get it done faster if we work together. Haven't Fenarel and Merrill gone into the forest already?"_

_"Yes, Sanile." Tamlen said, already heading back toward her. "Let's get this done before the others leave."_

_The two children headed off toward the pen where the halla were kept. The Master Herder had taken to asking the children to feed the halla during the day, as it kept them out of trouble. The Master Herder was quite young to have such a title. Marin was only seventeen. As the two grabbed a bucket of grain each, the small blonde came up with an idea suddenly and stopped. Her companion gave her a wary look._

_"What's going on? Why did you stop, Sanile?" Tamlen asked, shifting his bucket._

_"I was just thinking, Tamlen. I know a way we could go play without having to do chores."_

_The young male elf's interest was piqued. "How's that?"_

_"Well," Sanile started, a bit hesitant to continue, "We could open the corral and scare the halla out into the camp. That way, Marin will be the only one who can get them back in."_

_"Are you crazy?" Tamlen asked in whispered shout. "Marin will kill us! You've absolutely lost it, Sanile."_

_"I am not. You just don't want me to play with you, Tamlen." Little Sanile pouted, her protruding lower lip beginning to quiver._

_Tamlen groaned as he grabbed her hand tightly and pulled her toward the halla pen. "What's your plan?"_

_A smile spread across the tiny girl's face. "You open the gate. I'll go scare the halla. Then we'll run."_

_"Somehow I don't think this is going to be as easy as you make it sound, Sanile."_

_Sanile just grinned as they made their way to the halla corral. Marin had just stepped away, so now would be their chance. The two children split up as they went to carry out the different parts of their plan. Tamlen watched as Sanile headed toward the back of the pen and bent down to retrieve something from the grass. Lifting his arms behind his head, the boy walked past the front gate casually and kicked it open with his foot before hurrying away from the pen._

_His partner in crime hunched down in the grass growing around the fence as waited for the precise moment. Taking the blade of grass between her thumbs, Sanile crept right up to the edge of the fence and blew. The high-pitched cry rang out over camp as the halla jerked their heads to attention immediately. Blowing it again, the halla bolted toward the open gate. Tamlen yelped as he scrambled out of the way. Sanile raced to join him, panting to regain her breath. The slightly older boy grabbed her hand and gave her a severe look._

_"Come on, Lethallin! We've got to get out of here before Marin and the Keeper catch us!"_

_Tamlen had coaxed her into a run when Keeper Marethari stepped into their path. Both children pulled to a stop, swallowing as they looked up to meet her even gaze. "You two wouldn't have anything to do with this, would you?"_

_"We're caught." Tamlen muttered._

_~*~_

_Evening had fallen on their camp as the light of the first fireflies of the summer were winking to life. Keeper Marethari stood in the center of the forest clearing and lit the torches that would lead her young ones to her. Tonight was a special night for all of them. They had reached the age of eighteen and thus become adults. The Keeper smiled as she heard the din of the young adults approaching the clearing._

_Sanile moved down the path with Tamlen, Fenarel, and Merril toward the clearing. Everyone else their own age was either walking in front of them or behind them. The fair-haired elf gathered her long white dress in her fists as she tried to keep from walking on it. She saw that Merril was having similar problems._

_"I'm glad that we only have to wear these clothes on special occasions and not even then sometimes." Sanile snorted._

_"You're telling me." Tamlen grumbled, pulling at the collar of his tunic. "I'd take armor over this any day."_

_Fenarel laughed as he walked behind Sanile. "I feel overdressed. I don't understand why this was one of the requirements."_

_"It's tradition." Merril explained. "It's very important to uphold traditions. We're one of the few Dalish clans that still practice the coming of age ceremony."_

_"Wonderful for us." Tamlen muttered. "I'll be glad to get out of these clothes. I don't understand how the Shems do it all the time."_

_"Well, from what I've seen, they don't spend all their time in the forests like we do." Sanile said, blowing a stray piece of her loose hair out of her eyes. "They don't move about all the time either."_

_"Sometimes I'd say that they were lucky." Fenarel muttered. "Sometimes I wish we didn't have to move around as much as we do. It might be nice to live in just one place."_

_Tamlen snorted at this. "Then we wouldn't be Dalish, would we? We would be just as bad as the Shems. I think I'd rather move around."_

_"I would love to study the humans. Even if it was just for a bit." Merril said. "They're traditions and ceremonies are so mysterious and extravagant. It would be incredible to see one."_

_The four of them grew quiet as they moved with their clan brothers and sisters into the clearing. Keeper Marethari was waiting for them in its center. All of the ceremony's participants stood side by side in a circle bordering the clearing. The Keeper beamed at them pleasantly as silence fell over all of them. Taking a deep breath, she spoke._

_"You've endured many things to get to this Rite of Passage, my Dalen. Tonight, you will pass over the threshold between children and adults. You have earned that right."_

_As the Keeper raised a large goblet in front of her, angry shouts and the rustling of foliage broke the silence as a large group of humans burst into the clearing. Their swords impaled the elves closest to them as their bodies fell to the ground; dead. The group of human men consisted of about fifteen or twenty. None of the young Dalish had brought weapons with them, so they fell victim to their blades quickly._

_Tamlen whipped his bow from his back, which he had insisted on bringing anyway, and knocked an arrow. Once several had been released, his other three friends scrambled over the corpses of the dead Shems to obtain weapons. That's when the battle began. Sanile, Fenarel, Merril, and Tamlen fought their hardest alongside Keeper Marethari to drive off the humans. When their attackers finally gave up, the blonde elf tried to regain her breath as she looked around at the once peaceful clearing. The bodies of elves and humans alike lay on the grass, painting it a dull vermillion color. Sanile was in no better shape herself. Her dress was in tatters and her hair was wild. Blood covered her hands and had splattered on her face. Her blue eyes were dilated from the adrenaline._

_Sanile jumped as Tamlen laid a hand on her shoulder. She was unaware that she'd started trembling until her clan brother wrapped his arms around her from behind, pulling her into an embrace. They were the only ones that had survived. Keeper Marethari gazed on them sadly. They were her only remaining young ones left. Any hopes for a brighter future for the Dalish rested on their shoulders. Sanile turned in Tamlen's arms, not uttering at sound as she rested her forehead on his chest and fisted his tunic in her fingers. So much death. So much blood had been spilled. The blonde elf prayed silently to the Creator for the day when the Dalish and the humans could live together peacefully. Only then would the killing stop._

~*~

The sun was slowly rising, bringing new light to the world. Two figures were out and about this early. One was pacing back and forth nervously in front of the swamp water before him. The other was content to watch his every move. He'd been caught in this pattern for at least an hour now. The brunette as silent and had not spoken a word except to ask about the condition of his companions. The answer was always the same.

"What should I call you, anyway?" the young man asked.

The old woman cackled at him. "What is a name if it does nothing to define the object? I suppose that you could call me Flemeth. I also know of you, son of Marick. I suppose that you'd prefer Alistair though, wouldn't you?"

The brunette blinked. "How do you know my name?"

Flemeth cackled again. "When you're my age, there's very little you don't know."

Alistair rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably as he stared at the ground. "You've told me that all of the Grey Wardens have been slaughtered. You brought two others back. Can you at least tell me who they are and if they're all right?"

"I've told you once before, Grey Warden," the old witch drawled, "they are both companions of yours and that their injuries will be healed. One person's injuries were worse than the other."

The sound of the door opening caused both people to look up. The dark-haired Elissa Cousland emerged with a weary look on her face. "You can say that again, old woman. Miss Princess sure is taking her sweet time on waking up."

"Princess? You mean Sanile?" Alistair asked hopefully.

"If you're referring to the Dalish woman, her wounds were far more serious than the both of yours combined." Morrigan said as she joined them. "She's just awoken and is dressing herself."

"How bad were her injuries?" Alistair asked, his brow furrowing.

"Every rib in her body was practically shattered. She was run through with arrows and severely concussed. It was a wonder that she survived." The apostate snorted.

"I knew she was a stubborn fool." Elissa commented. "She wouldn't die that easily."

"I don't know whether to feel complimented or insulted." A voice said as the door opened one last time. All eyes shifted to her as Sanile made her way to join them.

"Thank the Maker you're alive." Alistair breathed as he took a step forward to join her. "I was hoping that you'd survived."

"Are you all right, Alistair?" Sanile asked, examining him. "I didn't know how badly the two of you were injured. I was shot multiple times, so I passed out."

"We're both fine. Are you sure that you're feeling up to travelling?" Elissa asked.

"I'm a little tender in the ribs, but I'll be fine. We really should get moving. I have no idea of where to go." the elf said.

"You all have a long journey ahead of you, Grey Wardens. It is up to the three of you to put an end to this Blight." Flemeth said in the calmest tone she'd ever used with them.

"We're not even sure if this is a true Blight." Elissa commented. "What I want to know is why Loghaine left the Grey Wardens to rot in Ostagar."

"A good question." The witch mused. "There are many things that are unanswered."

"We could go to Redcliffe and seek help from my uncle, Arl Eamon." Alistair suggested. "We have the Grey Warden treaties, but we'd need an army if this is a true Blight."

"A gathering of men, elves, and dwarves; that sounds like an army to me." Flemeth said, intrigued. "You have a point at which to start your journey and a goal."

Sanile turned to the old witch and bowed slightly to her. "You have our thanks, Flemeth. I doubt that we'll be able to repay you for your help."

Flemeth let out a small chuckle at this. "You are wrong there. You can repay me by taking my daughter with you."

"Mother, you'd better check the stew before it bubbles…what?" Morrigan said, quite surprised.

"Don't act like that, girl. I know you've been wanting to leave the Wilds for some time now."

"Yes, but…not like this. I never imagined…"

"This Blight will not overlook the Wilds for long. We may be safe for now, but I can't guard it forever. The Grey Wardens will need all the help they can get."

Alistair seemed to scowl at the prospect of the illegal mage joining them on their journey. "Seeking help from an apostate? I'm not so sure…"

Sanile turned to him, laying a hand on his arm. "We need all the allies we can get, Alistair. For all we know, we could be outlaws. Please?"

The brunette growled before lowering his gaze. "Fine. I'll trust your judgment, Sanile. You're right."

Elissa snickered at this display. "She's already got you eating out of the palm of her hand. I'd hate to see what you'd be like if you were ever to be her lover. I agree with the elf princess though. We need all the help we can get, illegal or no."

"It's settled then." Sanile said, turning to Morrigan. "We'd be both honored and grateful if you would join us."

Morrigan snorted as she grabbed her staff that was leaning against the wall. "It seems I have no choice in the matter. Now, I do know of a village not far from here, if you'd like to follow me. Lothering would be a good place to gather supplies. If you do not wish to take my advice, I will be your faithful, silent guide."

"I think you know best, Morrigan. Lead the way to Lothering. We can stock up on supplies before we head to Redcliffe." Sanile nodded.

The four headed out of the swamp without even a glance back toward Flemeth, who was staring after them. There were going to be some big changes for them from this day forward. None of them were quite sure what to expect along this journey or even that all of them would survive. As they began to walk, Sanile could not help but notice the smirk that twisted Morrigan's lips as she glanced back at Alistair over her shoulder. This could not be good.

"I have a wonder, Alistair, if you will indulge me?"

"Do I have a choice?" Alistair asked, flatly.

"Of the three of you that remain, are you not the senior Grey Warden? I find it curious that you allow the elf to lead while you follow." Morrigan continued.

Alistair was about to retort sharply, but was cut off quickly by a glance from Sanile. The Dalish woman was wondering if Morrigan had just made a stab at her. "You find that curious, do you?"

"In fact, you defer to a new recruit. Is this a policy of the Grey Wardens or simply a personal one?"

"What do you want to hear? That I prefer to follow? I do." Alistair growled.

Morrigan turned to walk backward for a moment or two, blinking in mock surprise. "You sound so very defensive." She responded innocently.

"Couldn't you crawl into a bush somewhere and die? That would be great, thanks."

Both Elissa and Sanile sighed at the tense conversation between the two. "This is going to be a long, long journey." The noblewoman stated.

~*~

End Chapter.

**

* * *

****There you have it, ladies and gents. I'm really not that good at going into detailed battle scenes, but I try my best. If you noticed that the battle scene with the ogre and Alistair's battle movements looked a bit familiar, then you noticed what I wanted you to. I based them off of the battle in Kazad Dhum between Legolas and the cave troll. I love the Lord of the Rings movies, even thought they were long, and I couldn't help but notice that Legolas had kick-ass moves in every single movie. Teehee. You'll also notice that the conversation in the very last scene is familiar. It is actually a conversation between Alistair and Morrigan during the actual DA gameplay. It sucks that you have to really listen up to hear them. That's why I turned all the subtitles on XD Anyway, I hope you enjoyed chapter 3!!!!**

**Much love,**

**Aeden**


	4. Lothering

**Author's Note****: I'm sorry to all of my readers that I haven't updated so long. A series of unfortunate events have come up, leaving me with no internet. I won't go into detail, but I'm now finally getting to the point where I may financially be able to get it back. Anyway, I wanted to mention that I read your comments when I was able and there were a couple asking where I got my information. I used the Dragon Age wiki. A most ingenious invention; it has everything! Not to mention dialogue. That's quite helpful. Now, as I started working on chapter five, I was thinking about something and I'll go ahead and mention it here. The traveling aspect of the story, realistically, doesn't happen as quickly as it does in the game, i.e. A trip from Redcliffe to Denerim could easily take two weeks or so on foot using the given roads. This is just a guess for me, however. I'm trying to make the story seem realistic. Also, there was the issue with the party camp. In real life, you wouldn't leave all of your companions waiting in camp while you went off on a mission. Therefore, there will be instances that the Grey Wardens and another companion will go on the main quest while the others will be sent to do other things involving the story, i.e. the Wardens go to seek out Brother Genitivi while the other party members remain at Redcliffe with the ailing Arl Eamon. Well, anyway, that was just some thinking on my part as not to draw the story out infinitely. Here is the long-awaited chapter four. Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything other the personal characters. Dragon Age Origins and all of its characters belong to Bioware.  
**

Chapter 4

The journey through the wilds had been less than pleasant with the constant bickering that took place between Alistair and Morrigan. The trip was even more eventful when the four came upon the bridge that would take them into Lothering. Bandits had been on the lookout for any new travelers and had decided to try their luck. Sanile was in no mood to play with the band of dimwits, and so took her irritation out on the entire group. Elissa was more than happy to lend a blade to her blonde companion as they quickly dispatched the group of rogues. As the four continued on their way, Elissa moved up front with Morrigan in hopes to separate she and Alistair and avoid another fight. Alistair willingly moved to the rear with his fellow Grey Warden.

"I can't believe that insufferable witch. Has she nothing better to do than torment me?"

Sanile sighed. "I suppose you are an easy target for her, being the only male in the group. You must realize that Morrigan is not what you Shems would call normal."

"There you go with that word again." Alistair said, looking at the elf in confusion. "You use the term as if it means something dirty. Why do you refer to humans as that?"

"Well, now that you mention it, we Dalish have always called humans by that name. I mean, you've never given us a reason not to." Sanile explained simply. "Humans have always attacked our clans, chased us from our camp grounds, and have come to hate us openly. We've done nothing but try to keep our history alive. I was told that my father tried everything in his power to bridge the gap between the Dalish and humans."

Alistair stopped for a moment, taking this information in. "You're father? You mean he tried to make peace with us?"

"Tried." The elf said bitterly. "You can see what a fat lot of good it did him. It got him killed."

"Then why is it that you don't hate us?" the brunette asked honestly. "Given everything in your past, you should hate us more than anyone. How are you speaking to me?"

Sanile chuckled gently. "We can't carry the grudges of our ancestors. I once told someone very important to me the same thing. Try as we might, we may remain bitter about some things, but others we have to try to see the meaning behind it. For instance, you, Elissa, and I are the only remaining Grey Wardens in Ferelden. We have a purpose even if we don't know what it is yet."

"You sound like one of the brothers." Alistair grumbled. "You would be the one to get philosophical about things, wouldn't you? I heard that elves are like that."

"What makes you think that? Just curious!" Sanile said hastily when she saw the bewildered look on her companion's face.

Alistair chuckled a bit himself. "I heard that from one of the brothers. They tried to be kind to everyone, despite origins. I remember seeing one of your kind when I was only seven or eight. When I asked Brother Henry what the man was, he told me that the man was an elf; one of the Dalish. Brother Henry always believed that we could learn quite a bit from the Dalish people if we could open our ears long enough."

"I believe that we could learn just as much from you she—humans." Sanile said, catching herself before she said the word. "Maybe when this is done, I can help to carry out my father's work."

"Aren't you already doing just that…in a way, I mean?" the templar asked. "I mean you're a Dalish _and_ a member of the Grey Wardens."

The blonde took several moments to contemplate this. "I suppose you're right. Perhaps I can do something worthy of my people. I'm being rude, however. What about your parents, Alistair? You haven't talked about them much."

The brunette was thinking of hanging himself and saving the trouble in that moment. "Uh…both of my parents are, well you know, dead. I have a brother who's also dead."

"I'm very sorry to hear that." Sanile said, hanging her head a little. "I sympathize with you a bit. Now, how about we get into Lothering before it gets too late, shall we?"

Alistair watched as she moved ahead of him and past Morrigan and Elissa. Both women looked back at him with accusing stares before Elissa made the attempt to catch up with Sanile. "What?"

"What did you say, Alistair?" Elissa hissed as she was moving away.

"Nothing!" he exclaimed in protest.

"Dear dear, poor fool. You may want to go and apologize to our fearless leader quickly if you hope to remain on her good side." Morrigan teased.

"Do you ever shut up?" the Grey Warden asked dryly as he moved around the other two women.

By the time the three had caught up the elf, there was a man knocked on his backside in the dirt that she was standing over. The villager looked considerably irate as he rose to his feet. His lips were twisted in a growl as he was almost nose to nose with Sanile. The Dalish woman was much shorter in comparison, given the anatomical differences between elves and humans, but did not back down. Anger made her features look like a steel plate. There was no mistaking the emotion she felt; unbridled rage.

"Did you dare to lay a hand on me, you walking piece of filth?" the man snapped. "You're an elf! You should know that you don't hurt humans."

Sanile's voice came out in a growl. "You mistake me for my flat ear relations, Shem. I know of no such thing. Your people slaughter mine without justification! That is why my people hate and fear yours."

"You're a Dalish? Then you're no better than a wild animal. What are you doing here in the first place? Did you just wander into town to start a fight? That's suicide for someone like you. We'll find your camp and burn it to the ground."

The blonde elf growled and grabbed the man's tunic collar. There was no way he could escape her grip now. "You'd best be glad that my clan started moving north days ago because our warriors are not strangers to altercations. You wouldn't last a moment."

Elissa grabbed Sanile's wrists in an attempt to pry her fingers away from the man's collar. The ebony-haired Noblewoman received an elbow to the middle for her efforts. She growled at the elf as she became a bit more forceful. "Look, Princess, you'd better lay off this guy before the whole town runs you off."

"I don't know what you did, ser, but we ask you to discontinue it." Alistair said firmly. "It looks like you've upset our companion quite a bit."

"You mean this Dalish whore is traveling with you?" the villager snorted. "So be it. She's not worth the trouble anyhow."

Sanile only turned from him when Elissa pulled her away by the arm. The elf shrugged from her grip as soon as they were a fair distance away for her to safely storm up the dusty street. "Some of you Shems certainly have nerve about you." She growled as both Elissa and Alistair caught up with her.

The two exchanged glances before Elissa replied. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? We haven't done anything to you, princess."

"That's not the point." Sanile said, attempting t o crack her neck. "Some of your kind are so rude and inconsiderate. Tell me you wouldn't lay with a man such as him for as little coin as he offered! I wouldn't have lain with him in the first place, but you understand my meaning."

The dark-haired noblewoman blinked before falling into a fit of laughter, unable to speak. Alistair seemed to be a bit confused, so it was Morrigan who answered. "I see your point. That one looked to have no sport about him and was quite unsatisfactory. You seem to be taking being called a prostitute well."

"I wasn't sure what it meant until that man explained what it was that he was asking for. We Dalish don't have those among our clans." The blonde explained. "What is the purpose of asking the services of one?"

Elissa only laughed harder as Morrigan pushed Alistair forward to explain. He stuttered and stumbled over several beginnings before he finally gave up. "I'll explain it when we're in camp. This is so embarrassing. Let's just go, all right?"

Sanile agreed to this as they moved further along the dusty streets of Lothering. Once they were able to find a merchant and load up on a few supplies, they'd be able to gather some information about what had happened at Ostagar. They'd not seen any wanted posters, but that didn't prove anything. Elissa informed her that she and Alistair were going to settle a dispute between the only merchant in the village and one of the Chantry members. Hopefully this endeavor would prove fruitful. In the meantime, the elf and the apostate down the street toward someone in heavy armor; Alistair had pointed these people out as templars that were employed by the Chantry to keep an eye on the mages and to hunt apostates.

"Don't you think that the templar might possibly pick me out as an apostate?" Morrigan asked as they approached casually.

"Well, not if you don't act guilty." Sanile said, scratching nervously as she spoke.

"You're acting guiltier than I." the witch said as she fought to keep from rolling her eyes. "I'm glad that no one in this group is known for their intelligence, otherwise I'd be disappointed."

The Dalish woman sent her a glare as she approached the officer standing in the street on his guard. "Good day to you, ser. We have been traveling quite a bit, so we're behind in current events. What news can you tell us?"

The templar looked away for a moment before looking back. "As you can see, there are people of all kinds around here. They're fleeing from the south to escape the Darkspawn. In fact, some of our own men have informed us that they're coming this way. We're trying to evacuate Lothering as soon as possible."

"Evacuate? You mean there are that many headed this way?" Sanile asked.

"Yes, ma'am. It's the horde. If Teryn Loghain's men hadn't told us that this wasn't a Blight on their way through to Denerim, I'd say it is." The templar explained patiently.

"So the teryn's army did pass through here." Sanile murmured. "What news did they bring?"

"The battle with the Darkspawn at Ostagar was a complete failure. Teryn Loghain's army has returned to Denerim so that they might regroup and continue the battle. It is said that the Grey Wardens betrayed his majesty and were slain along with him."

Sanile felt her stomach curdle with the last words. The Grey Wardens were being held responsible for the death of King Cailen. She exchanged a wary glance with Morrigan before returning her gaze to the templar. "Is this a popular belief?"

"Among some people, yes. There are others who don't believe a word of it. I personally don't believe that the Grey Wardens would betray the king. Their only purpose is to keep the Darkspawn in order. Why would they throw Ferelden into chaos?"

"Thank you. Could you point us in the direction of other end of town?" Morrigan asked dryly as she found a piece of flaking wood to pull at on her staff.

The templar nodded. "Keep going north over the bridge. You can't miss it. You may want to go speak with Ser Bryant, though. You don't seem like the types that are just passing through."

The Dalish woman nodded as she grabbed Morrigan by the wrist and sped to locate Elissa and Alistair. The Grey Wardens were outlaws. That would impede the progress of their journey quite a bit. Sanile only slowed down when her two fellow Wardens came into view. Elissa spotted her first and grabbed Alistair by the ear to direct him. The brunette yelped at the action but was otherwise silent as he caught the grave expression on the elf's face.

"What did you find out, Sanile? You don't look too happy."

"I say, you are just the most excellent judge of outward emotion and character that I have ever seen, Alistair." Morrigan sneered.

"Would the two of you stop it?" Sanile hissed. "We have something a bit more pressing on our hands."

Elissa's brow furrowed at the latter statement. "What could possibly be more pressing than trying to stop a Blight with three people?"

"We're wanted." The blonde said simply.

"What!" Alistair exclaimed in disbelief. "What are we wanted for?"

"For assistance in the betrayal and murder of King Cailen."

"Did you learn anything else while you were gathering information, elf princess?" the noblewoman asked, fighting to keep the angry quiver out of her voice.

Sanile nodded. "I did. I happened to glance on one of the wanted posters on my way to find you two. We are wanted; dead or alive. There is quite a large bounty on our heads, so we should be very careful on the roads. There will no doubt be assassins on our trail now."

"Terrific. This trip just keeps getting better and better." Alistair grumbled. "I love surprises, don't you?"

"Not this kind." Elissa responded. "What do we do now? We can't exactly hang around here forever. What does our fearless leader have to suggest?"

"Now when did I become leader?" the Dalish woman asked before shaking her head. "I suggest we try to get out of Lothering as calmly and inconspicuously as possible. From there, we can set up camp for the night, I suppose."

"I would have to agree with this plan. We don't need any more confrontations than are necessary. I have a feeling that we will have enough of those ahead of us as it is." The dark-haired witch agreed.

"Right then, let us be on our way." Alistair nodded.

As the quartet made their way through the village, odd stares followed them as they went. It wasn't until they came to the edge of Lothering that they noticed a large human-sized cage that was hanging there. A massive built creature with dark skin and white hair was imprisoned within it and seemed to be content with his captivity. They came to a stop as Morrigan spoke quietly.

"I believe that that is a Qunari." She said as she gazed on the creature.

"What do wish of me?" its deep voice rumbled from somewhere deep in his chest.

"Why are you in this cage?" Sanile asked curiously.

"That is none of your concern." He told them. "Just know that I am being made to atone for my crimes."

Alistair took a step closer. "Crimes? So they're leaving you here to killed by the Darkspawn? That's cruel. If they're going make an execution order, they should do it themselves. Who put you here?"

The Qunari looked away. "Your Chantry is clearly not as kind and forgiving as you say. It was its revered mother that decided my fate. She holds the key to my prison."

"This is the mercy of your Chantry; your ever-forgiving Maker? If you cannot see a use for him then let him loose. It is inhumane to leave him caged and helpless for the Darkspawn." Morrigan pointed out.

"What have you done exactly?" Elissa asked, raising a dark eyebrow.

"If you must know, I murdered a family that found me injured; eight humans including the children. When the soldiers came, I did not fight them. Your Revered Mother decreed it that she would leave my fate to the Maker and so left me in this cage." The Qunari sighed.

"I still don't agree with your punishment." Sanile said. "If there were a way to free you, would you join us? You could atone for your sins that way."

"Joining you or staying in this cage? What difference would it make? Why should I join your cause? Why would you wish me to? I could turn on you."

"He's got a point, Sanile." Alistair pointed out, looking to the elf. "Why should we trust him?"

"Your dim witted friend asks a reasonable question. I could kill you in your sleep."

Sanile shook her head. "I don't think so. If you were to turn on us, we could dispatch you easily. Our purpose is to stop the Blight. We are Grey Wardens. Most of our order in Ferelden has been slain and we are the only three that remain. Wouldn't fighting Darkspawn be better than dying in this cage?"

Elissa blinked in astonishment. She'd picked up on the desperation in the elf's voice. It sounded as if the thought of captivity frightened her. "Have you lost your mind completely, blondie? This man is a murderer. He said it himself that he could turn on us in a minute."

"I really do want to know what you're thinking, Sanile." Alistair commented. "I know we need all the allies we can get right now, but a murdering Qunari now? I don't think this is a good idea."

The Qunari looked down at the Dalish woman, his gaze fixated. The blonde elf was a bit unnerved by this but never once showed it. She met his gaze evenly as he spoke calmly to her. "I will make a deal with you since you won't seem to be deterred. If you can retrieve the key to my cell from the revered mother, then I will join your cause. If you cannot, then you must leave me to my fate."

Sanile looked to her companions before moving away from the cage. "I think we need to make a decision on this. I call for a vote."

"What difference is a vote going to make if you're going to overturn it, your leadership?" Elissa asked, snickering.

"I would love to know who up and decided that I was the leader of this group. After all, shouldn't Alistair be the leader? He's the senior Grey Warden now." The elf pointed out.

Morrigan nodded. "Our leader has a point. The fool should be leader if it were left up to rank."

"Don't I get a say in this?" Alistair asked.

"Aren't you saying something now?" Elissa retorted sharply. "Relax, Alistair. We're just stating that if rank were thrown into the mix, you should be leader."

Alistair crossed his arms over his chest in a stubborn manner. "Well, I don't want to be leader. I'm quite happy with following orders, thank you."

Sanile shook her head as she moved through her companions back toward Lothering. "I suggest we get a meal while we're here. We don't want to use supplies when we don't have to. Then we can discuss how to retrieve the key from the revered mother."

"You think that there's more to the Qunari's tale, do you not?" Morrigan asked.

"I do." The elf replied. "Right now, let's worry more about a meal and getting this key. We'll worry about the details a bit later."

"Perfect." Alistair grumbled. "We're becoming a band of outlaws rather quickly."

"If you don't recall, we're a band of outlaws anyway." Elissa said. "Grey Wardens are wanted now, remember?"

Alistair failed to reply as they made their way to the local tavern. The quartet entered the noisy establishment and managed to push their way through the mass of bodies to find an empty table. Morrigan snorted at the amount of people, commenting about the stench. Sanile wasn't feeling comfortable either. Packed into a room full of humans was not her idea of a comfortable predicament. Shifting her blue orbs around the room uneasily, she felt Elissa's hand on her shoulder and nodded. One of the barmaids took their order and the elf laid the sovereigns on the table to pay for them. Alistair eyed her questioningly.

"How did you get the money to pay for that?" the Senior Grey Warden asked suspiciously.

"I'm good with traps. I'm quite skilled at pick-pocketing as well." Sanile said with a grin. "All the congestion in here made it easy for me."

"A rogue will definitely make our journey easier." Morrigan said as she looked around the room. "Don't look now, but I think we're being observed."

Elissa scanned the room quickly. "Aren't those Loghain's men?"

"Yes, the crest on their armor is the same." Alistair pointed out. "We should be careful not to draw attention to ourselves."

Morrigan snorted. "Then you'd have done better to remove your shield before entering."

"What?" the brunette snapped in an offended manner.

"Your shield has the Grey Warden insignia on it, does it not?" the witch hissed as she leaned over the table. "Won't they be looking for you? You really are a buffoon, Alistair."

No sooner had Morrigan's sharp tongue stopped lashing than they were approached by a small group of soldiers. The captain stepped forward to examine the group carefully. "You're the ones that betrayed the king at Ostagar. We asked all the villagers if they'd seen an elf of your description only this morning. They were obviously lying."

All three Wardens bristled, but it was Elissa with her sharp tongue that was able to answer first. "It was Loghain who betrayed King Cailen, not us!"

"I've heard enough out of you." The soldier said darkly. "Teryn Loghain saved us and the rest of his army and I won't allow you to slander his name with your lies."

It was at that very moment that a red-headed cloister sister made her way over to them. She wasn't a very bulky woman, but seemed to have a certain collected confidence about her. "Now gentlemen, I'm sure that these are not the people you are looking for. It is a possibility that they are but weary travelers that you've mistaken for someone else, yes?"

"Stay out of the way, sister. These are Grey Wardens and traitors to Ferelden." The captain said, snarling at them. "All right, men, kill them all, including the sister!"

There was a great rustling of clothing and armor as both groups scrambled to fly at one another, turning over chairs in the process. The other patrons of the tavern were quick to scurry out of the way, as no one was in a hurry to be amidst a brawl fought by experienced warriors. Morrigan was the first to draw her weapon. The staff she wielded was a polished black sylvanwood. Alistair was also quick to remove his sword and shield, bashing it into the first soldier that crossed his path. His opponent was sent flying across the room. Elissa was taking similar actions as she blocked a swipe with her shield.

"How are you doing over there, princess? You've got several of them on your flank!" the dark-haired noble asked.

Sanile blocked a succession of blows, gritting her teeth as she felt herself losing precious centimeters of floor; she'd be against the wall. "Splendidly, Elissa!" she said, making a dual-weapons sweep. "In fact, I think we should do this more often!"

A bit of red was spotted out of the corner of the elf's eye, causing her to look over. The cloister sister had brought out a blade from somewhere and joined in the fray. "You enjoy fighting then?" the young woman asked.

"Enjoy it? I'd say we do it for a living." Alistair snorted as he finished with his opponents, stepping over their unconscious bodies.

"Perhaps we should open a mercenaries' guild when this whole Blight business is over." Elissa suggested as her blade pierced the tender belly of one of the soldiers.

"Perhaps we converse too much during battle, Grey Wardens." Morrigan snickered as she released an arcane blast from her staff. "Our enemies will not think we take them seriously lest we show more skill."

"Come now, Morrigan. We seem to be doing quite well with all of our inane babble." Sanile chuckled, resting her blade against the throat of the captain. "Now, shemlen, you will tell me why you were told to kill us."

"Y-yes! Just don't kill me!" the captain stuttered, swallowing. "We were told that the Grey Wardens lured King Cailen into a trap. Teryn Loghain saw through this and had his men retreat."

"So he left us and his king to die?" Sanile snapped. "It sounds to me like your hero of Ferelden is the traitor. Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you here."

A hand came to rest on her arm as the elf shifted her eyes to look at the sister. "You have won the fight. There is no need to go to that extreme. Why not release him?"

"Why?" Elissa asked, stepping up beside the fair-haired elf. "So he can return to Loghain and tell him that we survived? Who knows what will become of us then."

"I daresay an assassin would be involved." Morrigan said almost pleasantly.

Alistair remained quiet as Sanile lowered her blades with a growl. "Start running, shem. I _never_ want to see your face again."

"Thank you for sparing them." The redhead said with a voice full of gratitude as the remaining soldiers fled the tavern. "The deed will not go overlooked and may be returned to you one day."

"Yes, that is all well and good, sister, but now Loghain will know that there are surviving Grey Wardens. He will not hesitate to send assassins after us." Elissa pointed out sternly. "You were lucky to get out of that fight with little or no injuries."

Sanile agreed with this. "I thank you for your help, sister, but you shouldn't have jumped in."

"My name is Leliana and I know this is going to sound crazy, but helping you…I had a dream…a vision!" she said adamantly.

The elf quickly took an uncertain step back toward her companions. "Um…can you elaborate, please?"

"The Maker wants me to help you in your journey to stop the Blight. I know this sounds absolutely insane, but the night after the dreams started, the knurled, twisted, gray rose bush in the Chantry courtyard bloomed. Everyone thought the thing was dead until it produced one beautiful red rose. The Maker was trying to tell me that despite how badly things appear, there is always a bit of hope." Leliana explained. Alistair looked slightly guilty for some reason as he kept looking away.

Elissa leaned in to whisper to the shorter elf. "I would be careful of this one, if I were you. A cloister sister with skills like that? Unlikely. She could be the assassin."

"Why would she fight Loghain's men then? She has no reason to quarrel with them. I mean, they did try to kill her too, which would make anyone cross." Sanile argued. "We need help. The four of us alone are going to have a terribly hard time fighting the Blight as it is."

"I see your point, princess." Elissa sighed. "I suppose we could dispatch her easily enough if she were to act unaccordingly."

Alistair huffed as he rolled his eyes. "Great, and here I thought we were full up on crazy."

"Perhaps you hit your head harder than mother thought." Morrigan commented snidely.

"Welcome to our party, Leliana. I am Sanile. The dark-haired woman is Elissa Cousland. The only man in our party is Alistair and the cocky mage is Morrigan." The elf said, making introductions. "Now, if you'll please have a seat with us, perhaps you can help us with our current task."

The five of them returned to the table that they'd been previously sitting at. Leliana was content to watch quietly while the other four ate their meals quickly. The redhead looked to be contemplating something before she actually asked what it was. "You think I can be of some help to you, yes?"

Sanile nodded, answering between bites. "There is a caged Qunari on the outskirts of the village. I don't believe the stories that the villagers have heard and believe are all true. There is something else to his tale. I would like his help fighting the Darkspawn, but there is a complication. There revered mother is the one that issued the edict to place him in the cage in the first place and so holds the key. I do not believe that she will be willing to part with it for just anyone."

"I still say this is a bad idea." Alistair said quickly before shoveling a potato into his mouth. "What if he kills us next?"

"Do you think us so weak as to be killed by a single Qunari?" Morrigan asked, sipping from her goblet. "Not only do you doubt your own prowess as a warrior, but you doubt those of your party members as well."

Alistair scowled as he stared at the witch. "You see, that's the difference between you and me."

"Sometimes I find it hard distinguishing the difference between you and a toadstool." The mage sneered.

Leliana looked back and forth between the templar and the apostate. "Do they always interact so?"

"You have no idea." Elissa groaned. "It's been an adventure the whole way to Lothering."

"They dislike one another." Sanile said with a nod. "I do believe they just rub each other the wrong way."

"Dislike is too kind a word." Alistair spoke up. "The feelings I have for that woman are truly the blackest, darkest, and most severe of hatreds."

Elissa growled as she fought not to smack her fellow Grey Warden upside the head. "As we were saying, we'll need to speak with the revered mother. As the princess said, there's no way she'd part with that key easily."

Leliana contemplated this for a moment or two. "So you believe that the Qunari may have a reason for being guilty? If that is so, his fate is far too harsh for him. Twenty days without food or water is a long time. We should attempt to free him from his prison as soon as possible."

"I think that as soon as we've finished our meals, we should head to the Chantry so that we might speak to her. Perhaps we can also find this companion of Ser Henric's that he mentioned in his letter. It sounds as if the matter may be important." Sanile said, pushing back her plate.

Alistair took the final bite off his plate and pushed it away. "If I remember correctly, Ser Henric hails from Redcliffe. Perhaps we may learn of the events in Redcliffe from his contact."

"Not a bad idea for an idiot." Morrigan snorted.

"Let's just go before the two of you start a fist fight. That would be embarrassing even for me." Elissa snapped as she rose from her seat. "I personally don't like going into the Chantry, so let's make this as quick as possible."

As the other four rose from their seats, Leliana approached the elf as they moved out of the tavern. "Is Elissa always so aggressive?"

"No. She's worried about her brother, Fergus. He was one of the scouts sent into the Wilds at Ostagar and we'd yet to hear from him at the start of the battle. Those who weren't killed immediately by the Darkspawn were dragged under the ground into their tunnels. Elissa is worried because he hadn't returned before the fighting began." Sanile explained.

The redhead nodded as Alistair moved ahead of them to open the Chantry doors. They were surrounded by refugees that had fled to Lothering from the south and farms that had had their lands overwhelmed by the Blight. There were several brothers at the front reciting the Chant of Light to quite a few men and women who were knelt in prayer. Sanile was already searching the many forms for one that might stand out. She spotted the man that fit the description of Ser Bryant and quickly moved on. That's when another man caught her attention. He wore more finely crafted armor than those of anyone else she'd seen in Lothering and was currently poring over several different volumes that were in front of him. She broke away from her party to approach him.

"Excuse me, Ser?" she spoke up quietly. "I came across this locket and this note on the way into town and I do believe they're for you."

The dark-haired man turned and gave her an uncertain look before taking the objects she was giving to him. "Maker's mercy, these are Ser Henric's. So he has been killed then. I wonder how many more of us have met similar fates."

"Ser Donall?" the voice of Alistair asked from very close behind her. "From Redcliffe?"

"Well, if it isn't Alistair! It's been quite some time since I've seen you! Thank the Maker that you survived!" Ser Donall greeted him.

"What are you doing so far from home? Tell me, how is Arl Eamon?" the brunette asked, sounding quite excited.

Ser Donall sighed and shook his head. "Then word has not yet spread this far. The Arl is quite sick with a mysterious illness. His wife, the arlessa, has sent out knights in every direction in search for the Urn of Sacred Ashes, but I fear we are chasing fairy tales."

"Then you've found nothing?" Sanile asked, curious.

"We've found some information, but nothing that isn't commonly known already. I possess skills that are best used on the battlefield, not looking through the pages of musty old books." Ser Donall said honestly. "I thank you for returning this to me. I should return home with this news. Arlessa Isolde will not be happy. I thank you stranger. May you and your companions travel safely, Alistair. Maker watch over you."

As the party moved toward the revered mother's chamber, Alistair moved ahead beside Sanile. A worried look overtook his features. "If the Arl has fallen ill and they search for a myth as his only hope, how are we to move forward with our plan of stopping the Blight?"

"Don't be discouraged just yet, Alistair." Sanile reassured him. "We may be able to do what his men cannot. I suggest that we continue on with our plans of reviving the Grey Warden treaties and seeking the Arl's help against Teryn Loghain. We've yet to see the situation for ourselves, no?"

"You have a point, Sanile. Perhaps we should stop at Lake Calenhad first. The Circle of Magi is located there and we can use their treaty before we go to Redcliffe." Alistair suggested, a small smile curving his lips. "Perhaps it is not so hopeless after all."

Sanile smiled in return. "We cannot give up hope, for we _are_ the hope of Ferelden. Only we can stop the Blight. Besides, it would seem that people are willing to join me."

"Perhaps it is because no one can resist a mysterious, fair-haired elf who happens to be quite the rogue and a Grey Warden." Morrigan suggested smartly, a smirk twisting her lips.

"The witch is right, princess. You are quite the looker." Elissa said, winking at their male companion. "Wouldn't you agree, Alistair?"

The templar blushed furiously as he looked away. "I wouldn't know. I don't look at her that closely."

"Dear fool, you don't have to look closely." The witch pointed out.

"What would you know, Morrigan?" Alistair snapped. "I am _not_ attracted to Sanile. Period. End."

The elf blinked, aware of the odd stares they were gaining from the other people in the Chantry and somewhat wounded at the same time. "So I am unattractive by shemlen standards? That is a valuable piece of knowledge."

Alistair cursed under his breath. "That's not what I meant, Sanile. I simply meant that I—"

"You do not have to explain yourself, Alistair. I am not desirable by any human standard. Do we not have a task to complete?" Sanile asked, not looking at him.

The others moved around the brunette as he stood still in a sort of shock. It was Leliana who stopped and spoke to him. "You do not have skills when talking to women, do you?"

"None at all, I'm afraid." Alistair sighed. "I should apologize once we make camp for the night and perhaps make myself a little clearer on what I meant."

"That you should." The redhead agreed. "Now, let us continue. We've been left behind."

Once the two had caught up to the rest of their party, Sanile was already arguing her case to the revered mother. The older woman was having none of what she was attempting to explain. "Do you know why the Qunari is in that cage? He murdered eight people, children included. I cannot ignore a crime of that degree. I will not hand him over to you."

"And you think it's more human to leave him in that cage for the Darkspawn to rot? What sort of mercy have you granted him then?" Elissa hissed. "Have you asked him why he committed such an awful crime?"

"The Qunari admitted his guilt and refused to speak any more on the matter. I have left his fate for the Maker to decide." The revered mother told them stubbornly. "Now, if there is nothing else…"

"Mother, why not turn the Qunari over to this woman? He could redeem himself by doing good. He could help Sanile in fighting the Darkspawn." Leliana suggested gently.

"So, you intend to fight the Blight with your friend, do you Leliana?"

"Yes. We need help and the Qunari could help and redeem himself. I swear to you, revered mother, that he will not commit any more crimes." The redhead swore.

The revered mother sighed. "Very well. I will not argue with you any further. Take the key to the cage and be gone, Grey Wardens. I will not have the spilt blood of more innocents on my hands."

Sanile took the key from the woman and bowed respectfully to her. "Ma Serenas, revered mother. Your deed will not go unnoticed."

The elf turned quickly on heel and sped back through the Chantry so that she could get back to the cage. The thought of being held prisoner in such a manner was unthought-of for the Dalish. A cage meant fear and pain. The Dalish were a free people and to be caged was to be broken. Elissa and Leliana called after her to slow down, but Sanile heeded them not. It was finally that she stopped and turned around, answering their cries desperately.

"He must not stay in that cage. A cage represents the spirit being broken to my people. We do not cage any of our prisoners out of respect for our enemy." Sanile explained in a nervous tone.

"Sanile, why are you so upset? You're not even the one in the cage." Elissa asked bluntly.

"I'm just imagining it from the Qunari's eyes. I have never been caged and never wish to be. The mere thought of such a thing terrifies me. Please, we must hurry and release him." The elf responded, her eyes shining.

Once they'd reached the Qunari's prison, he turned his attention to them quickly. "You have returned."

"We have." Sanile confirmed. "We have obtained the key from the revered mother. You are free."

"I do not know how such events have occurred, but I will not question them. I will uphold our agreement and join you in your quest against the Blight. I am Sten of the Beresaad."

"I am Sanile. We'll make further introductions once we set up camp. I can't thank you enough for joining us." The elf said politely.

"We'll talk more of your fear of cages later, elf. Now, let us continue." The Qunari said gruffly as he moved past Sanile to continue on his way.

Elissa shrugged her shoulders to Leliana and the others before joining Sanile. "He seems like he's something else. The Beresaad? Isn't that a pretty important faction to the Qunari?"

"I'm not sure." Sanile admitted. "We should look into it along the way because I have a feeling that he's not going to tell us."

The sound of battle met their ears from a short distance away, causing both Sanile and Elissa to exchange glances and break into a dead sprint. The others followed closely behind them as they hurried to investigate what Sten had gotten himself into. By the time they reached him, Sten had dispatched six armed men on his own with little injury to his person. He knelt down over the bodies of one of them and picked up a greatsword.

"If I am to fight, I will need a weapon, will I not? They were coming after you for the bounty on your head, elf." Sten told her, almost defensively.

"I trust your judgment. I meant no offense." Said elf apologized. "Now, let us continue on so that we may equip Sten with some armor and set up camp for the night. It has been a long trip from the Wilds to Lothering."

With no further dialogue, the group moved to the ruins on the outskirts of the village toward the main road. They would have to travel to Redcliffe by way of the West Road to save them some time. There would be discussion on their chosen coarse once camp had been set up. Each individual seemed to be absorbed in their own thoughts as they approached the road. The frightened cries for help and the sounds of battle were what brought them back to the present.

Sanile charged forward with Leliana to rush to the aid of the victims. It appeared that a small group of bandits were fending off a troop of Darkspawn. Once the criminals saw that help had arrived, they quickly fled. The redhead quickly produced a bow and began knocking and firing arrows with enough precision to match any Dalish hunter. Sten was also battling a Hurlock with a swiftness that was uncharacteristic for someone of his stature. Morrigan had shifted to the form of a giant spider, attacking a Genlock archer and showing it no mercy. Alistair and Elissa had also joined in as Darkspawn went flying with the use of their shields. Sanile unsheathed her dual blades and remained at the back to defend the victims from any Darkspawn that managed to break away from the others. Once their enemies had been disposed of, weapons were returned to their sheathes and a sigh came from the people who had been under attack.

"Are you alright? You're not hurt are you?" Sanile asked, seeing that the people they'd rescued were dwarves.

"I thank you kindly, stranger." The older of the two said. "My name is Bodhan Fedic and this is my son, Sandal. Thank the kind lady, would you son?"

"Thank you, kind lady." The boy replied simply.

"Now, as you can see, I am a traveling merchant and these roads can be a little rough. What would you say if we were to travel with you?" the merchant asked.

Elissa snorted. "Well, that could work if you don't mind traveling with Grey Wardens."

"Grey Wardens you said?" Bodhan asked, pondering this. "That would explain it. I think the life of a Grey Warden is far too dangerous for me and my boy. I thank you again for your help. Now, Sandal, let's get this mess cleaned up, shall we?"

Bidding the dwarves farewell, the group traveled along the West Road for while longer until night began to fall. Most of the people of Ferelden knew that the worst time to travel was at night. Knowing this, the party of six moved off of the road and into the trees a good distance to set up camp. Just as night was falling, camp had been set up and the fire started. It was Leliana that suggested they bathe since they were so close to the Drakon River. It could be the only chance they had for a while. The women in the group quickly agreed. Alistair sighed as he had no choice but to follow to a separate part of the river and Sten didn't say a word for or against the idea. He merely trod the path behind the Templar.

Sanile was the first into the water, as the Dalish were more accustomed to the outdoor conditions. "Thank the Creator for clean water. I was beginning to think that the blood was never going to come off."

Elissa followed after her. "Maker! The water is freezing! How do your people do it, Sanile? I'm used to having a warm bath drawn."

"It's not so hard to adjust to when it's all you've ever known." The elf replied simply. "As children, it was nothing to go without bathes in the winter. There was too high a risk of illness."

"Then you have more resolve than I." Morrigan snorted. "I may have been raised in the Wilds, but I am still a woman. I like to feel as such."

"In Orlais, we had public bath houses and there many finely scented salts and perfumes." Leliana told them. "Ferelden is quite different. I smell wet dog everywhere."

"Oh come now, Ferelden isn't all that bad." Elissa said, submerging her shoulders. "We may not be as trendy as Orlais, but we've got our other bright points."

Leliana shook her head as if trying to make them understand. "Oh no, Orlais was _all_ about their fashion. Everything was extravagant, even the shoes. That's what I loved most about the fashion was the shoes. It was early spring when I left, so I had my eye on a light blue velvet pair with a little bit of gold embroidery on the toe. Here, Ferelden doesn't say much for fashionable shoes. The boots are shapeless and, well, yuck!"

"What other function are the boots supposed to have?" Sanile asked, emerging from under the water. "Aren't they used only to protect one's feet and keep them warm?"

Again, Morrigan snorted. "You clearly are Dalish; living with your head under a rock. Sometimes women like to wear beautiful things for no reason at all. Perhaps you'll understand that one day."

"Yes, sometimes women like to have pretty feet. I know I do." Leliana went on.

"Beauty is impractical." Elissa said with distain. "I was introduced to several of the nobles' daughters and wives who prized beauty among other things. It didn't take a long conversation with them to realize that they had naught a brain in their head."

"Beauty is one thing. Your religion is another." Sanile said quietly. "I do not understand the concept of an all-powerful entity being in love with a mortal prophetess. What interest would he have in such a person? Having the ability to rein fire and water from the heavens, what would the Maker wish with a human woman?"

Morrigan snickered as Elissa straight out laughed. Leliana looked confused and flustered at the topic of conversation. It took her a moment to realize that the elf was not familiar with many human legends at all. "You're talking about the story of Andraste? You're people believe in many gods, yes? Perhaps there is—"

Leliana's comment was cut short by a rustling in the bushes. All four women fell silent as there was a collective nervous swallowing. Sanile slowly moved toward the bank; her weapons were the closest. Leliana cowered behind Morrigan, her hands resting on her shoulders. The witch did not look happy about her current predicament.

"Be careful, princess." Elissa said cautiously, very close behind Sanile. "We don't know what—"

Sanile's high-pitched squeal interrupted her sentence as the elf was knocked to the ground by a large hunk a flesh that easily kept her pinned. A second form flew from the bushes straight toward Elissa. The dark-haired noble also shrieked as she was knocked to her rear end and promptly licked in the face. Elissa's surprise and momentary fear dissolved into a fit of giggles as she attempted to push the creature off of her.

"Down, Dante. I'm happy to see you too. I'm surprised you made it away from Ostagar. It looks like you brought a friend with you."

At that time, there was another figure that came crashing through the brush. Upon further inspection, it was Alistair that came stumbling through the foliage equipped with sword and shield in naught but his small clothes. He looked around wildly for whatever enemies that had attacked his companions in a nearly helpless state.

"What is it? What's going on? Are the Darkspawn attacking?" he panted, finally spotting Sanile on the ground with a large mabari covering her.

The other women had managed to duck back into the water to hide themselves in the waning light from curious and oblivious male eyes. Sten remained back, still fully clothed, clutching his forehead in his hand. Morrigan hefted a fair sized rock in her fingers and sneered at the templar.

"I suggest you leave now, Alistair, or risk life and limb when I emerge." She hissed.

"What was all that noise just now? Weren't you being attacked?" he asked, bewildered.

"It would appear that our attackers are no more than faithful canine, so now that you've embarrassed yourself and seen more of us than need be, go back to camp before I truly get angry and turn you into something very nasty." Morrigan snapped. "Idiot."

Alistair turned on heel muttering something hateful about witches and dared on final glance at Sanile, who had successfully hidden herself behind the large war hound. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine, Alistair. I promise. If you don't believe me, you can search me for wounds when we return to camp." She replied, quite embarrassed.

The brunette flushed and, with a nod, disappeared off through the trees with Sten in tow. The Qunari could be heard scolding him for his foolishness a good distance away. Sanile fell into a fit of giggles, as did Elissa. The rest of the party moved out of the water and quickly redressed before looking at the pair of creatures that had joined them.

"Where did these mabari come from?" Leliana asked. "I've heard of them, but I've never actually seen one."

"This one is mine." Elissa said, scrubbing his head gently. "His name is Dante. I've had him since he was a puppy. He accompanied me to Ostagar from Highever and remained in the kennel during the battle of Ostagar. The other I'm not so sure about."

"I believe I can clear that up." Sanile offered. "The Kennel Master had asked me to find a medicinal plant in the Wilds to help a poisoned mabari. I was able to get a muzzle on him while he was sick. It looks as though he may have imprinted himself to me then."

"Wonderful. Now we have a couple of fur bags travelling with us. They reek of something dead." Morrigan complained.

Elissa scratched the other mabari behind the ear as he and Dante were sniffing at one another in a friendly manner. "Congratulations, Sani, you've got yourself a dog. What are you going to call it?"

"Frender." She said quickly. "I've always wanted a dog, but moving about so much made it impossible."

The witch snorted. "Great. A childhood dream fulfilled. Can we go back to camp now?"

"I think it's wonderful. I agree with Morrigan that we should go back to camp, yes?" Leliana asked.

Sanile pet Frender before she headed back toward the camp through the trees. Frender trotted after her happily as the others followed behind her. Upon their return, Alistair and Sten had lit a large fire in the center of the camp site. It was also noticed that a mule-drawn wagon had arrived at the edge of their small camp. Upon further inspection, it was, in fact, Bodhan Fedic and his son that had been saved earlier that day. Elissa quickly went to talk to the merchant as Leliana was content to retire to her tent for the night and Morrigan went off on her own to set up her own lodgings.

The elf made her way to the fire and sat down, removing her boots and gloves with a sigh. Frender lay down beside her as Alistair took a seat on the other side. "I think today has been a long day in the midst of things."

"Yes, very long. You weren't injured when the mabari knocked you over, were you?"

Frender growled at the question, causing Sanile to laugh. "No. I'm still a bit stiff from my healing injuries, but I'll recover. How are you holding up, Alistair? I know that Duncan's death is still bothering you quite a bit."

Alistair sighed as he rested his face in his hands. "I only wish that I had been out on the battlefield with him; that I could've fought beside him. If that had been the case, I'd be dead now too. You must think I'm bonkers."

"No, I think I understand. Perhaps there is greater need for you here. The Creator has a plan for all of involved in this apparently." Sanile replied as she smiled gently and rested a hand on his shoulder. "You were very close to him, were you not?"

"I…yes. I was. I'm sorry that you didn't know Duncan very well. I'm sorry for making you listen to all this, Sanile, I really am. I just thought that perhaps you'd understand a bit better than Elissa." Alistair said, resting his elbows on his knees. "I'm sorry for assuming that you'd listen."

"No, I don't mind listening to you at all, Alistair. Getting this off of your shoulders now rather than later is a good thing. I would think that even though I didn't know Duncan as well as you did, I'd like to at least erect some sort of memorial."

"I think he was from Highever. He didn't have any family that he spoke of." The brunette told her dismally.

"He had you, did he not?"

A sad laugh was issued from the templar. "I suppose he did. When this is all over, I like to go to Highever and put a monument there in his honor. What do your people do to honor your dead?"

The question made Sanile swallow thickly as she felt her eyes begin to burn. Staring at the fire only worked to reflect the unshed tears even more. The elf was quick to wipe away a few stray tears when she caught sight of Alistair's concerned look. "When someone dies among my people, a tree is planted over the departed's remains."

"New life springing from death; a beautiful sentiment. Perhaps I could do something similar for Duncan, though I don't know the words to say." Alistair suggested.

"Perhaps something such as 'Hahren na melana sahlin. Emma ir abelas. Souver'inan isala hamin. Vhenan him dor'felas. In uthenara na revas. Vir sulahn'nehn. Vir dirthera. Vir samahl la numin. Vir lath sa'vunin." The elf suggested, speaking her native tongue fluently.

"Very pretty. Now can we try that again in common tongue?" Alistair asked.

"Elder, your time is come. Now I am filled with sorrow. Weary eyes need resting. Heart has become grey and slow. In waking sleep is freedom. We sing, rejoice. We tell the tales. We laugh and cry. We love one more day." Sanile clarified for him. "The other I do not have the heart to repeat just yet."

"I doubt I could remember all that, but perhaps… you could come with me." Alistair suggested, shyly.

Sanile smiled. "I'd like that. I'd also like it if…you were to accompany me back to my clan. Even if it is for a short visit."

"Gladly, Sanile. I've never met an entire clan of Dalish elves before." Alistair admitted. "I thank you for listening, Sanile. I mean it. Truly."

"It was no trouble at all. I was happy to help." The elf told him before patting his head. "Now I suggest that we turn in for the night. We'll want an early start if we're to get very far before the rain sets in."

"Rain? You truly think so?" the brunette asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yes, I do. All of the signs are there." Sanile said as she stood up. "Now, I bid you goodnight, Alistair. Pleasant dreams."

"Goodnight, Sanile. I wish I could say the same for you."

End Chapter

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Now, there you have it. Chapter four. I hope, my dear readers, that I didn't disappoint. I know that there is a lot more dialogue in this chapter than in other chapters, but I'm trying to work on character development as well as the plot. The relationships between the party members is critical. So, I hope I didn't bore you. Let me know what you think. If you have any questions on anything that came up in the story, please send me a message and I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks and keep reading!

~Aeden


	5. The West Road

**Author's Note****: I feel quite proud of myself. I managed to get chapter five out sooner than six months! I just want everyone to know that I greatly appreciate all of the positive feedback that I've gotten so far and it gives me the fuel to write. I've also discovered new music for inspiration in my chapters. Don't be surprised if some Blind Guardian lyrics make their way into the next chapter. I'll have you know that I'm a little more than halfway done with chapter six and I hope to have it done soon. In the mean time, please enjoy chapter five!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age: Origins or its plot. They belong to Bioware. Sanile and Elissa are mine, however.**

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Chapter 5

_ There was only darkness. The faint light didn't allow for perfect vision. The only thing that could be told was that by the speed of movement, something was running through the trees. Cries of agony and sorrow echoed through the forest as the creature tore through the trees and underbrush. A familiar word would fall from the creature's lips every now and again; a familiar name. _

_ "Lethallin. Lethallin! Abelas…"_

_ The shroud of the night-covered forests began to shift and change. A different place came into view and the first place faded and became no more. Almost like a…dream._

_Everything appeared in a hazy, sickly green. Distorted noise filled the air in a haunting sort of song. Perched on top of a rocky pyre was misshapen and mutated dragon, belching out purple-black flames from its throat. A ferocious roar echoed through the sky like a challenge for all those who heard it. The Darkspawn moved in droves beneath its feet; the horde. Naught a second later did the creature take to the air once again as the world of dream started to fade._

Tossing and turning for a bit, Sanile finally flew into a sitting position as she gasped to regain her breath. A cold sweat coated her brow as she blinked her eyes and looked around the camp to assure herself that she was awake. She spotted Alistair, awake, by the fire. His gaze had shifted to her slowly as her form began to tremble. A look of sympathy overtook his features.

"You had dreams, didn't you? Dreams about the Darkspawn?"

The elf was silent for a moment. "Yes, the Darkspawn. They were horrible. What was the dragon, then? The Archdemon?"

Alistair scratched the back of his neck as he tilted his head forward slightly. "Yes, I was wondering that myself. It was a gruesome creature, wasn't it? I suppose Duncan never told you about the dreams."

"Not really, no." Sanile replied honestly. "I'm assuming that there will be more, however."

"Yes, most likely. I had horrible dreams after my joining. Duncan said that they get better with time and that some of the older Grey Wardens can even understand them. I don't see how that would ever happen. Duncan probably didn't mention Grey Wardens don't live for very long either. Because of the taint inside of us, we make it to about forty. Forty-five at best. Then the taint becomes so strong that its call in our blood will lead us to the Deep Roads of Orzammar to fight the Darkspawn to the death." The templar continued.

"So, death in fighting. There will be no peace for us, will there?" Sanile asked as she attempted to shake the sleep from her eyes. Frender approached and gave her a friendly lick on the cheek. "Nothing happened throughout the night did it? I didn't talk in my sleep did I?"

The brunette gave her an odd look before thinking on it. "Well, you did mention…" He laughed when he saw the mortified look on the elf's face. "I'm just joking. No, you didn't say anything embarrassing. You did say the word 'abelas' quite a bit though."

As Elissa joined them, she began to squirm a bit. The dark-haired noblewoman held a similar strained expression. "You dreamed about things from your past, didn't you? So did I. They were not…good things. I will have my revenge on Rendon Howe for the murder of my family. I will assume that you dreamt of your brother."

"I think that's what the creature in my dream was." Sanile admitted, drawing her knees to her chest. "He cried out things that only an elf would know. Abelas means sorrow, Alistair. It is usually said as an apology."

"Yes, well since you had no trouble at all waking the rest of the camp, I suggest we move out already. The sky is hanging low and rain seems to be impending." A disheveled Morrigan grumbled.

"You said something about rain last night before we turned in." Alistair said, looking to his blonde companion.

"I told you. I'm sure that you didn't notice the turtle at the river bank last night among the other events. It was heading away from the water. Animals know when the weather is going to change. They are more in tune with nature than we are." Sanile confirmed.

"If that is the case, we should begin packing up then, yes?" Leliana suggested, stretching languidly.

Elissa grabbed the map that had been stuffed in her pack and unrolled it. She, Sanile, and Alistair gazed down on it as the others in the group looked on from above. "If we continue along the West Road for a few more days we will come to the fork that encircles Lake Calenhad. We have enough members in our party that we could split up at the fork and some of us could continue on to the Circle Tower while the other journeys to Redcliffe. The only problem with splitting up would be that there is a higher rate of attack from the roaming Darkspawn bands."

"If we do not split up, we could be wasting time, however." Sanile pointed out. "What do you think, Alistair?"

"I think you both have a point. I think it would be good to send the rest of the party on to Redcliffe while we confer with the mages about the treaty. We'll send more in the Redcliffe party because the three of us have the advantage of sensing the Darkspawn. Will the mabari listen if you send them with Morrigan and the others?" Alistair asked.

"They should." Elissa answered simply. "If princess and I give the command, they will obey. However, we will concern ourselves with that when the time comes. So it's been decided. Alistair, Sanile, and I will go to the Circle of Magi. Morrigan, Sten, Leliana, and the mabari will go to Redcliffe. Does anyone have a problem with that?"

"Not if it is approved by our darling leader." Morrigan snorted.

"Then that shall be the plan." Sanile said quickly as she rose from her bedroll and began to roll it up. "Let us break camp and get moving while the weather holds out. Perhaps, if we are lucky, we may cross paths with my clan if they have not moved too far north yet."

"We cannot count on that. Elves will move swiftly away from danger if they feel threatened enough." Sten told her in his level tone.

"There is still a chance." Leliana said, trying to prevent discord among her friends. "I agree with this plan. Perhaps we will save more lives this way."

Elissa rolled up the map quickly and stuck it back into her pack before rising to her feet. Sanile was pulled up after her. "Now that that's settled, let's pack up. Bodhan is going to follow us a short distance behind. He's agreed to trade with us and offer a sizeable discount for being allowed to travel with us. His son, Sandal, is also able to enchant runes to weaponry if we should need that service."

Without another word, the small ring of companions dissolved to break down the camp. It did not take long to accomplish. Sten was then equipped with some splintmail armor and Leliana adjusted to the feel of her studded leather armor. A bow and arrows made of Ash were also given to her, as she seemed to be a bit clumsy with a close-ranged weapon. Bodhan Fedic was to thank for that. Once everything was packed and secure, the party was off.

The West Road was practically barren as eight figures and a wagon moved along it. Sanile led the way with Elissa and Alistair close by. Sten and Morrigan walked behind them while Leliana was content to bring up the rear. They'd only been traveling for a few hours and the sky was already beginning to darken. Luckily, there'd been very little confrontation with the Darkspawn. Most of their trip had been carried on in silence with the occasional chatter here and there. Alistair glanced back at Sten, his curiosity eating away at him.

"Don't you ever talk? You know, make polite conversation just to put people at ease?" he asked, not sure what to expect as an answer.

"This could end badly." Elissa muttered under her breath. Sanile nodded in agreement.

Sten's gaze never wavered as he stared ahead at the brunette male in front of him. "You mean that I should remark upon the weather before I cut off a man's head?"

"Never mind…" Alistair sighed. He then remained silent for a few moments before trying a different approach. "Were you really in that cage for twenty days?"

"It might have been closer to thirty. I stopped counting after a while." The Qunari answered simply.

"What did you do? I mean…twenty days is a long time to sit in one place and do nothing."

If Sten was getting irritated with Alistair's questions, no one could tell. His expression never changed and his voice remained neutral. "On good days, I posed riddles to the passersby, offering them treasures for correct answers."

Alistair's interest seemed to peak at this reply. "Really?"

"No."

"Awww. Too bad. That's got serious potential."

Morrigan growled and rolled her eyes. "I wish that mother would've have left that fool on the tower."

Leliana sensed the tension that was brewing and made to squander it quickly. "What was that…soup you made for supper last night?"

Alistair seemed to perk up at the thought of some normal friendly conversation. "Oh, that? That's a traditional Ferelden lamb and pea stew. Did you like it?"

"Oh so…that was lamb then? It had a certain…texture I don't normally associate with lamb." Leliana replied thoughtfully.

"They didn't make lamb and pea stew for you in Lothering?"

"We ate simply there." The redhead explained. "Whole grains, made into biscuits or bread, and vegetables from the garden, cooked lightly. No heavy stews."

"Ah, so the last lamb you had was probably cooked Orlesian style. Food shouldn't be frilly and pretentious like that." Alistair said, sticking his tongue out. "Now here in Ferelden, we do things right. We take our ingredients, throw them into the largest pot we can find, and cook them for as long as possible until everything is a uniform grey color. As soon as it looks bland and completely unappetizing, that's when I know it's done."

Leliana looked as if she were in disbelief. "Y-you're having me on."

The brunette laughed. "You need to eat in more Ferelden inns. So let me get this straight. You were a cloister sister?"

"You must have been a brother before you became a templar, no?" Leliana asked.

"I never actually became a templar." Alistair explained. "I was recruited into the Grey Wardens before I took my final vows."

The redhead looked at him with a hint of sadness. "Do you ever regret leaving the Chantry?"

"No, never. Do you?"

"Yes." Leliana sighed heavily. "You may not believe it, but I found peace there. The kind of peace I've never known."

The brunette chuckled to himself at some memory or other. "It used to get so quiet at the monastery that I would start screaming until one of the brothers came running. I would tell them that I was just checking. You never know, right?"

"I…no, I never did anything like that. I enjoyed the quiet." Leliana answered quickly, somewhat appalled.

Suit yourself. The look on their face was always priceless."

The two female Grey Wardens exchanged glances with one another. Sanile glanced over to Alistair in almost sudden realization. "People don't talk to you much, do they?"

"Was it that obvious? I don't think they can stand me much." Alistair said with a chuckle. "Now I'm just trying to get to know everyone better. We are going to be traveling together for quite some time, you know."

"Why must you remind me?" Morrigan said dolefully.

"How are you holding up, Sanile?" Elissa asked. "You've been away from your people for a little while now."

The blonde nodded slowly. "It is…difficult to explain. I feel nervous around humans still, but I also feel anger."

"Anger?" Alistair asked. "Why anger?"

"The way you shems look at one of my kind reminds me of how one would look at a disobedient animal; that we are good for nothing but serving them and that we are stupid. Those flat-ears that you call city elves may be such, but we Dalish are quite different." Sanile explained, her voice tightening as she did so. "My people are more often viewed as wild animals; dangerous and safest when dead. There were a few shemlen villages that we traded with, but not many, especially around Lake Calenhad."

Sanile's irritated rant had caused the whole party to lapse into silence. Most of them were ashamed to hear what was actually happening with others of their own kind. Morrigan looked as though she could've cared less, but was pleased by the silence. Sten continued on in his lumbering manner with the same expression he always wore. The scenery around them seemed much the same as it did when they had initially started out.

The terrain that the West Road traveled across had began to turn rough. The ground was a bit rockier than it had been and the trees that were seen surrounding the road were more often than not evergreens. From what could be seen any distance from them, there were no mountains, just a few rolling hills. The Frostback Mountains were further west than they had to go. Once they had traveled to the fork in the path, group one would continue on the West Road to Lake Calenhad while group two would take the Imperial Highway to Redcliffe. Since backtracking would take quite a long time, group one would continue around Lake Calenhad to Redcliffe via the Imperial Highway, which would take just as long.

A long, low rumbling echoed through the sky and faded away just as quickly. A jagged streak of lightning flashed, stretching its spider-like fingers across the sky as it was followed closely by another round of thunder. All faces turned toward the heavens as the rain began in a light drizzle. Elissa looked to her companions before pulling their leader to a stop. Sanile stared up the sky as the tiny droplets landed on her skin.

"What do you propose we do, princess?" Elissa asked. "The rain isn't too bad yet."

"I think we should keep moving until the rain gets too heavy. We've got a lot of ground to cover." The elf suggested.

"Wonderful. We can catch cold and fight the Darkspawn." Morrigan said snidely.

Now sooner had the words left her mouth than a cacophony of cries and breaking branches sounded to their left. A troop of Darkspawn fled out onto the road in a frenzy. Arrows flew through the air, embedding themselves into the ground and the wagon behind them. Weapons were at the ready as all warriors moved into action. The battle had commenced on the West Road.

The study was decorated lavishly with books of every origin and genre. The midday sun was streaming through the large windows, particles of dust dancing about in them like miniature ball-goers. Several maps and rolls of parchment were left askew on one of the tables. Otherwise, everything was in correct order. The image laid out was one of serenity. It would have remained such had the tense and brooding figure that entered the study not been pacing about in a nervous, frustrated manner. His bright armor suggested stature while his visage was held in a scowl. Ill news had obviously entered his ears. Teryn Loghain had much on his mind and that much more on his agenda to prevent civil war in Ferelden. The Bannorn had refused to bow to his regency at the word he and his daughter, Anora. He had already taken measures against Arl Eamon; the only man who would openly oppose him. Another figure of stature joined him a moment later.

"Teryn, there have been…rumors…of Grey Wardens surviving Ostagar." Rendon Howe informed him, continuing when he did not reply. "They have been spotted in Lothering and it's a good possibility that they are going to Redcliffe to seek out Eamon."

"Ill news is an ill guest. Dispose of the Grey Wardens, Howe." Loghain growled roughly. "They are murderers of the king. They must not go unpunished. If they wish to seek the help of Arl Eamon, I fear they will be sorely disappointed."

Arl Howe sneered at his orders. "My lord, I have already taken precautions regarding this matter."

A third person melted from the shadows and joined them, a cocky look on his tattooed face. "The Crows send their regards."

"So, you've turned to the Antivan Crows. Pay them. Just make sure that the Grey Wardens die. Especially that knife-eared bitch."

The fair-haired assassin nodded at this before turning to leave. There was an elf among the Grey Wardens? A woman? "Aye. It will be done."

The rain had begun beating down after a few more hours of travel. Everyone agreed that it was best to stop and let the weather pass before they attempted to continue on their way. If the rain kept up, however, they'd move a little further off the road and set up camp. As Sanile stared out of the drooping foliage at the falling rain, rubbing her arms from the chill, she let her mind wander. It had taken her three days to reach Ostagar from her clan's camp. She was there less than a day before the battle had begun. Flemeth had rescued them from the Tower of Ishal and healed most of their injuries. Their trip from the Kocari Wilds to Lothering had taken nearly a week and a half with their still-healing wounds and avoiding the bulk of the horde. Now they were traveling for almost another full day. In total, the elf had only been away from her people for two weeks. That wasn't very long at all. It, in all reality, seemed much longer than that. In another few days, spring would change to summer. How many more seasons would they see along this journey? Sanile jumped when she felt a bit of cloth rest gently on her shoulders. Looking up, Alistair was in the act of placing a cloak around her. His face turned bright red as he smiled shyly.

"You were cold. I bought a cloak from our traveling merchant and here I am." He explained in an almost guilty manner.

Sanile smiled as she took the cloak from him and fastened it around her neck, pulling the hood over her head. "Thank you, Alistair. That was very sweet of you."

The brunette blushed darker at his praise. "You're welcome, Sanile. You looked like you off in your own world. What were you thinking about?"

"Oh, nothing. You'd probably think me an idiot if I told you." She laughed in an embarrassed manner.

"Oh come on. Morrigan is constantly reminding me that I'm an idiot. I highly doubt there's anything you could say would make me think you an idiot." Alistair assured her.

"If you insist then." Sanile chuckled. "I was just thinking on the time. It really hasn't been that long since I left my clan. I miss them dearly and I can only hope that they've made it north safely."

"Ah, there's the homesickness again." Alistair said with a smile. "It's really all right to feel that, you know."

The blonde elf turned her gaze on him, concerned. "Is it really? We've so many more important things to do. If my mind lingers on my family, how can I be of any use to you? I was a hunter, Alistair. I know from experience that if one's mind is not on the target, a kill is not likely. Not bringing back the deer didn't affect only the one."

"I think I understand what you're saying. If you're not focused, it's not just going to affect you. I know that. That's why I have your back. I'm certain that Elissa does as well. We're your friends, Sanile. We'll help you."

The elf was overcome by the utmost gratitude as she pulled the templar into a loose, friendly embrace. "Ma serennas, Alistair! You've lightened my heart."

Alistair blushed yet again as he scrubbed the top of her head gently and pulled away. "Just doing my duty. I can't allow our fearless leader to sulk about in the rain."

"Now that your disgusting display of affection is over, what do you propose we do, Warden? It's been raining for quite some time now and it looks as though there is little chance of it letting up." Morrigan snapped, made irritable by the damp weather.

Elissa snorted at the apostate. "I don't know about you, witchy woman, but I intend to make camp and stay there until this weather lets up."

"I agree, Elissa." Sanile said with a nod. "Let's make camp. There's little else we can do until the rain stops."

As the group headed off the road, Morrigan decided that it would be best to take out some of her aggressions on her favorite target; Alistair. "So I take it you did not enjoy your templar training?"

"That's directed at me, I take it?" said templar ground out.

"Do you see any others about who have failed at their religious instruction?"

Alistair took offense to the comment and didn't bother to hide it. "I didn't fail. I was recruited into the Grey Wardens."

The witch was gaining enjoyment from his torment. "And if you had not been recruited? What would've happened instead?"

"I would have turned into a drooling lunatic, slaughtered the grand cleric, and run through the streets of Denerim in my small clothes, I guess." The brunette replied flatly.

"Your self-awareness does you credit." Morrigan answered, impressed.

"I thought you'd like that."

It was Sten who decided upon a suitable campsite. He was unloading gear quickly and in quite a rush to set up so that he could escape the ridiculous banter that was taking place between Morrigan and Alistair. The Qunari was rather annoyed by the interaction between the two of them and was quite eager to be away from them. Elissa noticed this and helped the large warrior pitch his tent.

"I know that you probably aren't wondering, Sten, but just in case you are, I can't stand the way they argue either. It's rather childish." The noblewoman said simply.

"I am glad that I'm not the only one. The elf does not seem to mind." Sten commented.

Elissa chuckled. "Yes, well, she's the leader. I don't suppose she is any real position to be taking sides. Besides, I think the elf princess may be developing a bit of a soft spot for Alistair."

"Truly? That man is a fool. He does not have the heart to be a warrior."

"I must agree with you there." Elissa sighed. "He's too kind."

Sten merely grunted as Elissa moved to set up her own tent. The camp was set up fairly quickly and a large piece of thick cloth was erected a good distance above the fire. The fire was hard enough to start with wet kindling. After several failed attempts at lighting the soaked wood, Morrigan used one of her spells to launch a fireball into the center of the pit, nearly burning off Alistair's hair and eyebrows in the process. Leliana quickly volunteered to help Bodhan set up his wagon while Sanile and Elissa moved off to make a short hunting trip. There was one last argument that they heard before they were out of hearing range.

"Why do you always go on about how stupid I am? I'm not stupid, am I?"

"If you need to ask the question…"

"Because it hurts my manly feelings, you know. All one of them."

"Then I'll be sure to write you an apology once all of this is over."

"I was educated by the Chantry. I studied history. They don't make stupid templars."

"Then I must have been mistaken. I'm very impressed."

"No you're not. You're not even listening."

"My, you are smarter than you look after all. Your Chantry must have been very proud."

It had taken him several hours to gather up several highly recommended freelance assassins. They would be needed for his plan in doing away with the Grey Wardens. He was hired to complete a task and that task would be completed. He waited for the stragglers to sit down at one of the tables in the back room of The Pearl before calling attention to himself. When he was sure that all eyes were on him., he began to speak.

"All of you present have been paid for a job. I have brought you all here to give you the details of that job."

"Who are you and what have you hired us for?" a smart mouthed female assassin queried.

"Know only that my name is Zevran and that I am an assassin as well."

A rough-looking male assassin stroked his beard for a moment in thought. "If you're an assassin, then why have you hired us?"

Zevran smirked. "A good question, my friend. The target that I have been sent after is quite a bit difficult to slay, I'm afraid."

"Why, is this target a maleficar or something?" the woman asked.

"No, though there is a mage traveling with them. My targets are Grey Wardens." The elf answered.

Several of the hired hands looked at him in disbelief. "You mean that you've been sent after…Grey Wardens? I thought thems what all died in Ostagar."

"They killed the king, fool. They're murderers." Another assassin hissed.

"I heard that Grey Wardens don't concern themselves with anything but Darkspawn. Why would they kill the king? That would've meant they were working with the Darkspawn. I don't think that's true."

Zevran let the chatter go on. He hadn't heard many details of his task from his employer other than the fact that the Grey Wardens needed to be dealt with. It was in fact interesting to hear these simple-minded assassins speak with a shadow of fear in their voices. "What else have you heard?"

"Grey Wardens are merciless." One of the females said. "They recruit Wardens of all people; mages, elves, dwarves…even criminals, I've heard. They're like demons when they fight the Darkspawn and even worse when they turn their blades on you."

More frightened stories. "What else have you heard on the three we are to going after?"

One man leaned over the table to lower his voice a bit. "I listened in to several of the soldiers that were drinking here one night. They'd just fled from Lothering saying that they had just escaped the Grey Wardens with their lives."

"Go on." Zevran encouraged.

"One man and two women. One was taller, black hair. She had a sharp tongue on her. The crest on her shield was that of the teryn of Highever. The man was somewhere between five and a half foot and six feet tall, brown hair. Had a templar shield with him. Didn't seem none too bright."

"What about the other woman?" Zevran asked. _"The elf."_ He thought.

"Well, she was much shorter than the other two. Light golden hair, fair skin. She had a butterfly marking on her forehead that ran always to the tip of her nose. Wore a strange kind of leather armor."

"The marking of which you refer is known as a tattoo, or blood writing among some of the elves. Her armor was no doubt that of the Dalish. So, they've recruited a Dalish elf into the Grey Wardens." The blonde assassin commented.

"What's more, ser, is it seemed that she was the leader."

"An elf? Leading? This will be most interesting." Zevran grinned. "I have come up with a plan to take care these Grey Wardens. Their order is known for being servants to the people. We will lay a cunning trap to lure them to us. When they have come too far to turn back, we will have them. I will explain the exact details at a later time. Right now, we must plot our course. They were last in Lothering four days ago according to my employer. Now, I know that they will most likely turn their eyes to Redcliffe. That is where we will catch them."

The two female Grey Wardens made their way through the trees silently. Sanile had her elm wood bow on her back as well as her dual weapons. Elissa walked along her companion silently as she followed her lead. She'd been hunting with her brother before, but she had a feeling that it was very unlike what the Dalish did. The silence, however, was not something she was accustomed to while hunting with her brother. So she remedied it.

"So, I think it is safe to assume that Alistair and Morrigan hate one another." The dark-haired noble snickered.

"I would say so." Sanile replied. "They've been at each other's throats the entire trip."

"Do you think that it might get better, Sanile?" Elissa asked.

"Perhaps if we can give Alistair some kind of distraction, he may be able to ignore Morrigan's attempts to irritate him."

Elissa smirked at this suggestion and knew what to do already. "I know exactly what distraction we can give him, Sanile, or that you can give him, rather."

The elf's cheeks lit in a pretty blush as she fumbled to find her tongue. "Now, I have no idea what you've in mind, Elissa, but Alistair and I are just friends. I have no intentions of pursuing anything further."

"Oh why not, Sanile? Alistair would be a fine choice for you. You seem to be the only one who can tolerate him long enough to hold a conversation with him." Elissa pointed out.

"That is not true and you know it, Elissa." Sanile said darkly. "You have conversations with him too."

"Not serious ones like you do." The noblewoman said, flicking her black hair over her shoulder. "I heard you before we decided to make camp.

"He's rather easy to talk to." Sanile commented as she shrugged her shoulders. "It's as if he truly cares how I feel about things."

Elissa smiled gently. "Perhaps he does. Perhaps Alistair's made some sort of connection with you that he hasn't made with the rest of us. If you knew that to be so, what would you do?"

"I can't answer that seriously." The elf replied stubbornly. "We've known each other less than two weeks. You speak as if there will be a wedding in the near future."

"Ah yes, I can see it now. A grand event it will be. The Dalish and Grey Wardens together for this joyous occasion. Your children are just darling, Sanile. Half human and half elf with pointed ears on some." Elissa told her, giggling.

Sanile did not hesitate to shove her friend roughly into a bush, which caused the giggling to evolve into outright laughter. The elf fumed as she made her way forward without Elissa. The noblewoman was picking leaves out of her black hair as she rose to her feet. She was still laughing to herself when she caught up with her blonde companion. The elf cast her a dark scowl as they moved deeper into the forest.

"All right, Sanile. I'll drop the issue. If anything becomes of you and Alistair, it won't be because of my pestering."

"Consider it dropped." Sanile said quickly. "Now, let us bring back a deer so that we don't have to dip into our rations."

Later that evening, the two female Grey Wardens returned successful from their hunt, much to Sten's surprise. He made a comment about women not being hunters and warriors. Women were only supposed to be artisans, shopkeepers, and members of the clergy. It was an unnatural thing among the Qun for women to be members of the army. That was when Elissa got an idea.

"Why don't you tell us about the Qunari, Sten? Then Sanile can tell us about the Dalish." She said, taking a bite of their stew.

The Qunari groaned in response. "Very well. My people exist mainly in the northern islands. My home is Seheron. My people do not use our given names. The Tamassrans use them for record keeping only. We are known by our military rank. Sten roughly means infantry platoon commander in your language."

"So Sten isn't even your true name?" Alistair asked. "Do you even remember your true name?"

"I do; not that I would tell you. That is all that I will tell you of the Qunari." Sten replied.

"Ah well, it was worth a try." The brunette commented. "All right, Sanile, tell us of your people."

"I'm sure that you've heard most of this already." Sanile said. "Much of this tale is relative to your tales of Andraste."

"Please, Sanile?" Leliana pleaded. "I wish to hear your tales of your people."

"As you wish. In the tales of our ancestors, elves were immortal beings who lived in harmony with nature. The very first shemlen, er humans, that they encountered were the Tervinter Imperium mages. Our ancestors grew friendly with the humans, trading with the Imperium. They soon discovered that…breeding…with humans only produced human babies. During their time with the shemlen, the elves had adapted and quickened themselves. For the first time, the elves had begun to age and die."

"So elves were friendly with humans?" Elissa asked. "I would've never told by the way they act now."

Sanile nodded. "I'm getting to that. The elves saw that they were dying and withdrew from human societies in fear. The Tervinter Imperium, instead of addressing the sudden withdrawal, simply took it as a sign of hostility and decided to invade Elvhenan. The elves were enslaved. My people believe that our gods forsook them, causing them to lose their immortality."

"Well, something must have happened." Alistair said, acting much like a child who wanted the story to continue. "Your people aren't slaves, Sanile."

"No, we're not." The elf stated. "I spoke with a mage named Wynn a bit before the battle at Ostagar. We talked of things I was not familiar with, like your prophet, Andraste. It would seem that the elves enthusiastically supported her when she decided to rebel against the Imperium. They were rewarded for their loyalty by being given land in the Dales."

Leliana seemed to be thinking quite a bit. "You people do not have a homeland, so that is not the end of the story."

"However did you guess?" Morrigan asked, rolling her eyes as she helped Sanile add another bit of deer meat to the stew. "They were obviously cast out."

"Yes, my people began to restore all of the legends and culture of Elvhenan. The old gods were worshipped again. It was not to remain this way, however. Your Chant of Light and your Maker began to take hold of the shemlen nations. Those allies that were once close to us turned their backs because our religion was not like theirs. Your Chantry lead what you call an Exalted March on the Dales, claiming that they had been attacked. Our second homeland was abandoned and our culture scattered into the wind. Those elves that agreed to accept the Chantry's terms became the elves that we call the flat-ears, or the city elves. Those of us who resisted became known as the Dalish. We continue to worship our elven gods and try to regain our lost culture." Sanile concluded, chopping at some potatoes and throwing them into the stew.

Elissa added four or five carrots to the concoction as she stared into the fire. "So the humans have tried to enslave your people for seeing things differently than they do? How many other people know this story, princess?"

Sanile shrugged. "Not many. You shems never like to listen much when we're around. Now that I've told the whole sad tale of my people, is there anything else that you could possibly want to know?" she asked, a bit embarrassed.

"Yes, there is, actually. The woman I was raised by, Lady Cecile, had an elven servant who had once been one of the Dalish elves. He was captured during the Orlesian occupation and was never released. The elf often spoke of the Way of Three Trees. He even spoke it as a sort of mantra sometimes. What is it that that means, Sanile?" Leliana asked.

"He spoke the Vir Tanadahl? Well, the Way of Three Trees is the code that the Dalish live by. Vir Assan, The Way of the Arrow; fly straight and do not waiver. Vir Bor'assan, The Way of the Bow; bend but never break. Vir Adahlen, The Way of the Forest; Together we are stronger than the one. We are the last of the Elvhenan and never again shall we submit. We are taught this from the time we are small children."

"What of everyone else here?" Sten asked. "I know the fool is a templar and was raised in your Chantry, but what else? If our leader and myself are subjected to questions of our people and their past, you should be subjected as well."

Leliana smiled. "You are right, Sten. I am a traveling minstrel from Orlais. I entertained many of the courtiers and the nobles. My mother was from Ferelden. I decided that I wanted to see her homeland to know where she came from. She died when I was but a small child. I don't truly remember that much about her. Lady Cecile raised me when my mother died, which was strange for an Orlesian noblewoman."

"What of you, witch?" Sten asked.

"What of me? What is there to tell?" Morrigan asked. "I was raised in the Kocari wilds with my mother. We remained hidden, but I snuck out from time to time. I always returned however, and Flemeth was usually furious with me. I truly don't see how this is going to help us in our journey."

"Of course it will, Morrigan." Elissa said, tossing a strip of fat to Dante. "It will help us bond and get to know one another."

"I don't want to _bond_ with that idiot templar, Alistair." Morrigan said indignantly. Alistair sneered in return.

"You two might as well face it. You're going to be traveling together for a long time. You really should make the best of it." Sanile said sternly, scratching Frender behind the ear.

"She's right, you know." Elissa agreed. "Now, I was raised in Highever with my older brother, Fergus. He was the one who taught me to fight. My father was Bryce Cousland, the teryn of Highever, and my mother was Eleanor Cousland. I had a fairly normal childhood if you don't count rubbing elbows with other nobles, which I despised. Right after my brother left with my father's army for Ostagar, our castle was attacked. Arl Rendon Howe's men were slaughtering everyone and I vowed revenge on Howe the moment I left. My father was gravely injured and had lost too much blood. My mother stayed by his side to protect both him and the passage I had left through with Duncan."

"Yes, now, this story telling bit is wonderful and all, but my belly is wishing to be full and the stew is ready. Let us eat before my stomach eats my spine." Morrigan barked quickly as she began spooning the stew into her bowl.

"For once, I agree with Morrigan." Alistair admitted. "Let's eat!"

With the continuing rain, the journey along the West Road to the fork of the Imperial Highway took four and a half days. The clouds began to break at about midday then. The party arrived at the fork no worse for wear despite the increased Darkspawn attacks. This seemed to increase their awareness of the time that was slipping through their fingers like sand through an hourglass. Alistair seemed to be shifting nervously as they stood at the fork preparing to go their separate ways for the time being.

"These attacks have me worried. I'm sure that there are villages to the south that have already fallen to the Darkspawn. We have to keep that from happening anywhere else." He stated, determination in his voice.

"We understand that, Alistair. We also have to find the three groups that will honor these treaties. If this truly is a Blight, we will need the help of other armies to end it." Elissa said, attempting to reason with him. "From what we've seen, we may not have much time."

"I suppose this is goodbye for now." Morrigan said. "I am in no hurry for the moron to return, though I wish a safe journey to the rest of you."

"Hopefully we will be able to join you in Redcliffe soon, Morrigan." Sanile said. "Perhaps the mages will be easy to convince."

"Let us hope." Elissa said. "I don't know what we'll do otherwise."

"I really despise that fact that its mages, but I suppose I'll get over it. All mages can't be that bad." Alistair said hopefully.

"Take care, my friends. We will reunite shortly!" Leliana told them cheerfully. Dante was already on her heels having taken orders from Elissa. Frender, however, was quite reluctant to go. He whined at Sanile's feet.

"Go on, now. You don't want to more of a coward than Dante, do you?" she asked. "Now go on. I promise it's just for a little while."

Frender let out another whine before turning slowly to trudge after the others. The elf sighed. Sometimes that dog was more like a child. Elissa laughed from beside her as she pulled out her map once again. The others had already set out toward Redcliffe. Sanile and Alistair looked at the map from either side of her to see how much further they had to go. The Circle Tower was located at the northern part of Lake Calenhad.

"If we keep a brisk pace and aren't slowed down a great deal by the Darkspawn, we should be able to make it to the lake by the time the sun sets. We'll be able to get to the Circle Tower by nightfall."

"That's wonderful." Alistair said drably. "I suppose the sooner we get moving the sooner we'll get to the Tower."

"There's no time to lose then." Sanile said a bit tightly. "The Darkspawn are moving further out over the land and there are innocent people getting hurt. We really need to try to get these treaties delivered as soon as possible."

"I agree, blondie. No one else needs to be hurt because of these creatures. Lothering is going to fall if it hasn't fallen already." Elissa nodded.

Alistair rested a hand on her shoulder. "I don't like needless sacrifice any more than you do. Let's try to save everyone that we can, right?"

A bright smile lit the elf's face as she nodded. "Right…everyone that we can. Let's get to Lake Calenhad before the sun sets!"

By the time that they'd reached the shores of Lake Calenhad, the first stars had begun to flicker to life as they searched around the small area. There was the ferryman, Kester, that was quite friendly, but undeniably unhappy at having his boat taken from him. The templars had come swiftly from the tower and told them that there would be no one in or out from that moment on. The three exchanged glances when they were told to speak to Carroll, the templar that was now in charge of travel to and from the Tower. When they approached him, the expression on his face guaranteed glibness.

"Halt." He said drolly. "No one is allowed in the Tower. I'm sorry, but you'll have to turn around."

Sanile was the first to approach and try her luck. "We've come to seek the help of the Circle of Magi. We're Grey Wardens and this treaty bears our seal."

Carroll examined the bit of pressed wax for half a second. "Ah yes, Grey Wardens. You see, I have documents of my own stating that I'm the queen of Antiva."

Sanile was about to argue when Alistair shook his head. "I remember Ser Carroll." He whispered. "He was always a smart mouth and would use it to carry out his orders. Both he and Ser Cullen were planned to be sent here from the start. They were in my starting group of trainees you see."

Elissa growled. "If you don't take us across this lake to that tower this very instant, I'll make sure that I personally rid you of all the parts necessary that would keep you from becoming queen."

Ser Carroll laughed nervously as Elissa grabbed the hilt of her sword and began to pull it from her sheath. "Now now, no need to get violent. I'll take your right on across whenever you're ready. I'm going to be in so much trouble."

"Thank you, Ser Carroll. We really didn't want to threaten you." Sanile apologized once they'd all loaded the boat and started across the lake.

"Yes, I'm sure. This all coming from a blasted knife-ear." The templar grumbled under his breath. "So this is what became of you, Alistair? You really did become a Grey Warden after all?"

"I'd greatly appreciate it if you didn't call her that, Ser Carroll." Alistair said darkly. "Yes, I was recruited into the Grey Wardens. The grand cleric only let me go when the Right of Conscription was used against her."

"I'm sure she was deeply saddened to see her trouble-maker go." Carroll said sarcastically. "Be glad you went. You really wouldn't have wanted this job to begin with."

"Why? What's going on in the Circle Tower, Carroll?" the brunette asked.

The templar was silent for a moment or two. "I was told not to say anything and if anyone tried to get in, keep them out. Ser Greagoir said that it was imperative. You can see that I was successful at my job."

"Yes, you'd make an excellent court jester." Elissa said dryly.

"All I can tell you is that we've sent word to Denerim for the Right of Annulment." Carroll said gravely. "There are so many of us that have been sent to the Maker already."

"What is the Right of Annulment?" Sanile asked, turning to ask Alistair because she knew Carroll wouldn't answer her.

Alistair scrubbed her hair before answering. "The Right of Annulment is basically permission given by the grand cleric to neutralize the Circle of Magi. If the templars in charge of the Circle cannot regain control of the magi, they are to be destroyed."

The moon shown like a ghostly galleon on the surface of the water as they made their way silently across. No noise reached their ears save the quiet lapping of the water against the boat. The wind blew gently across the water, causing little ripples across the glass-like surface. The tower looked eerie with the sallow light flickering from the windows. A shiver passed over the elf's body as she turned her blue orbs away quickly. Something was wrong in the tower and it wasn't Darkspawn.

"Something's very wrong with that tower." Sanile said as she scooted closer to Elissa.

"That's what we're going to find out, princess. There is something wrong and we're going to set it right." The dark-haired woman said with a smile as she patted her friend's shoulder.

Ser Carroll rolled his eyes as Alistair carefully moved to the front so that he could speak with the templar. "How in the Maker's name did an elf end up being the leader of your little band here? Maker's breath, the knife-ears are taking over."

"Now Carroll, I don't know why you talk so low of them. I've learned a lot about the Dalish in the past few days." Alistair countered.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you'd gone soft in the head; or there's a soft spot for _that_ elf."

The brunette was just glad that it was dark to hide the pink tint to his cheeks. "You're being absurd. We're companions and she's a fellow Grey Warden."

"Whatever you say, Alistair." Carroll snorted. "We'll be reaching the tower in a few moments. Please try not to rock the boat and whatever you do, don't scream when you enter the front door."

The sun was hanging low in the sky as the small band arrived over the hills at Redcliffe. The wind blew softly as they began their descent to the village. There seemed to be something odd, however, as there was hardly anyone moving around in the village below. Leliana had set one foot on the small wooden bridge when a man made his way toward them as fast as his legs could carry him. Panting, he doubled over to catch his breath.

"You're not from here. You've come to help then?" he asked.

"Help? What do you need help with, good ser?" the redhead asked in return.

"Then word has not reached the outside. Will no one learn of our plight?"

"T'would help if you explained yourself." Morrigan told him in a bored manner.

"The dead walk through the village and drag the living off into the night! We hide in the Chantry in the hope of seeing another dawn. We've sent word to Denerim, but have heard no reply. Neither the messenger nor Ser Henric has sent word or returned." The man told them.

Morrigan snorted. "That man was dead when we arrived at Lothering. Your cry for help never made it to Denerim."

"We've come to speak with Arl Eamon." Leliana told him. "We've come ahead of our friends, who are Grey Wardens. They've gone to the Circle of Magi to seek the help of the magi against the Blight. Is he all right?"

"Everyone in the castle could be dead! We haven't heard from them in days. The walking corpses come from there and drag villagers back in with them."

"Wonderful." Sten commented. "This place is infested with dark magic. I suppose our journey will only get more challenging from here."

"Please," the man begged, "come with me. I'll take you to Bann Teagan. He's been in charge while the castle has been silent."

Leliana looked to Morrigan and Sten and shrugged as she followed the man into the village. The only people outside of the chantry were men who looked to be soldiers. The mayor was out among them as they shot at targets with their bows and they sat up barricades. Many of the doors and windows of the houses had been boarded up and blocked so as to keep something from getting in. The mayor, Murdock, they were informed, nodded to them as they passed. How were they going to plea their innocence to Arl Eamon if he could be dead? With the village in this state, there was no way to get a message to their friends at Lake Calenhad. Whatever they were to face, it would be alone.

End Chapter

* * *

**Well all, there you have chapter five. I put a line or two in there from Lord of the Rings. I'll give you a cookie if you can find it/them. I really hope that you haven't been bored to death with the lack of real action here. Plot building sucks. Anyhow, there you go. I hope you enjoyed it! I'll have chapter six out as soon as I can.**

**Aeden  
**


	6. Separate Pathes to the Same Goal

**Author's Note****: Once again, I'm sorry for the big time span between updates. It took me a while to do this chapter because, I may have mentioned it before, it's been a while since I played this part of the game. You'll notice that I skipped a lot of the quest part in the Fade because that would've taken a ridiculously long time to write and I'm sure you all would've been tired of reading by that point. I'm still a little foggy on the whole Uldred battle, but that's the next chapter. I've also been distracted by Gears of War a bit too. I absolutely love that game and I've been preparing for Gears 3. I was so upset when I found out that the release date was being pushed back to November. Anyway, I tried to make the Fade section as believable as possible when compared with the game. I have to admit, I may have gotten a little lazy with the battle sequences. I'm pretty excited to start the next chapter, however, because if I don't introduce Zevran in it, it'll be close. I'm also thinking of having a message sent to the Circle Tower from Redcliffe notifying the Grey Wardens of the situation so that they bring the Circle of Magi with them. Anyhow, enough chatter. On with the story!**

**Disclaimer****: I don't own anything but Sanile and Elissa. Dragon Age Origins and its wonderful characters belong to Bioware. I also don't own "Punishment Divine" by Blind Guardian. **

Chapter 6

_**It's warm and tender, but very soon it will turn cold**_

_**Shadows stare down from the walls**_

_**Out of the mist, it's coming closer now**_

_**It never rains—it pours on me**_

_**So let the saints**_

_**Set up the courtyard, the unpleasant cage**_

_**The obvious point is I'm insane**_

The Circle Tower was less than hospitable when the trio opened the doors. In fact, the place seemed to be in a full-blown panic when the Grey Wardens entered. The templars were taking care of their injured comrades while others were guarding the entrance to the mages' quarters; almost like they were making certain that nothing came through the doors. Sanile led her companions to the center of the commotion. There, a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair was directing the other templars. The man gazed at her wearily before speaking.

"Look, knife-ear, I don't know how you got in here, but I suggest you leave." The man snapped impatiently.

"Hey there—"Alistair growled before being cut off.

"You must be Ser Greagoir. Would you dare speak to a Grey Warden in such an ill manner?" Sanile questioned, her voice tight.

"Forgive me, Warden, but our situation is dire. What would members of your order be doing at the Circle Tower?" Greagoir questioned.

"We've come seeking help from the Circle of Magi." Elissa explained. "We've a treaty promising their aid should another Blight arise."

Greagoir rubbed his face with his hand. "I see. You Grey Wardens and your ceaseless need for men to combat the Darkspawn. Such as it is. I doubt you'll be able to get any sort of aid from them. The tower is overrun with abominations and we're awaiting the Right of Annulment from Denerim."

"The Right of Annulment?" Alistair asked, horrified. "Whatever for? What's going on here?"

The knight commander motioned them to walk with him. He led them to a section of injured templars. "I don't know what's going on behind those doors, but I aim to stop it. It was almost as if they were fighting one another. I sent my men in to regain control of the situation, but it was not that simple. The abominations and demons had spread throughout the tower and those who hadn't killed the mages that were in their path first came after my men. I doubt that there are any left alive within the tower. I did what I thought was best and had my men fall back."

"But you don't know for sure." Sanile told him. "What if there are mages on the other side of those doors, injured? What if they are too close to death's door for you to hear them? The mages are hardly defenseless. What if they're your men? You would leave them to die."

The gaze of her companions rested on her for a few moments before shifting to Greagoir. He stared at the blonde with a steely gaze. "We thought of this possibility when I ordered the doors locked. I am sorry for such sacrifices, but there is little else we can do in this situation."

"So you left any survivors behind those doors?" Elissa snapped. "That's the act of a coward. There could be people left alive; mages and templars alike. We're going to find them, aren't we, princess?"

Sanile nodded. "We're going into the tower. We need to determine if there are any survivors left and clear the tower of these abominations. We need assistance to combat the Blight and the mages are the only ones who can answer this treaty."

"Are you sure about this?" Alistair asked her. "We don't know what's behind these doors. For all we know, the halls could be overflowing with abominations and demons."

"We don't have a choice, my friend." The elf told him as she rested her hands on his forearms. "If we don't determine what has happened here, this part of our journey ends. We can't use the treaty and we'll have wasted time rather than saved it. Please, Alistair, you most of all should know how important it is that we gain allies."

"You're right. We don't. We don't have a choice and we need every bit of assistance that we can get." He said as he smiled. "Let's go look for survivors."

The elf returned his bright smile as she nodded in agreement. "Let's be on our way."

"I will tell you now that once you pass through the great doors, you will not be allowed back out." Greagoir told them. "I must have the word from First Enchanter Irving that this is over. If he has not survived, then I will take that as a meaning that the Circle is lost."

"We understand, Ser Greagoir." Sanile told him. "We are ready to make our trip into the tower."

"Very well. The guards will let you through. The quarter master is nearby if you should have need to trade." Greagoir told them as he left. "Maker turn his gaze upon you."

Sanile swallowed as she exchanged glances with her companions. Elissa gave her a thumb up and a wink while Alistair nodded. The blonde elf slowly approached the great doors and waited for the guards to open them. It took only a second for them to step through into the quiet corridors beyond. Once they were over the threshold, the doors slammed behind them, the sound echoing through the large stone hallway. The bodies of the slain templars lay before them as an ill omen as they slowly moved forward. Every chamber would have to be inspected. There was the possibility that there could be people hiding amongst the furniture in those rooms. Several doorways lined the corridor with a single door facing them at the very end. Sanile had her fingers touching the hilts of her weapons as she moved into the first chamber. This was going to be a long night.

_**Was I aware of whom I have slain, I fear I was;**_

_**The faceless **_

_**The nameless**_

_**The bush set on fire**_

_**No one ever dared to speak**_

"_**Shame on me, I don't believe**_

_**The here and now is all we're living for"**_

Leliana led her party through the doors of the Chantry and past many of the surviving villagers as the man they'd met at the edge of the village led them to Bann Teagan. A tall man with light brown hair stood at the front of the chamber directing soldiers and speaking with the revered mother in turn. His attention was then turned to the approaching party as they made their way to him.

"Ah, Tomas is it? Who have you brought with you?" he asked.

"Yes, my lord. I met them at the edge of the village. They say they've come ahead of their companions who are Grey Wardens." Tomas informed him.

"Thank you, Tomas. I'll speak to our guests from here." Teagan said with a small smile. "I take it that you are not ordinary travelers. You've obviously been sent here with some purpose. I am Teagan, Bann of Rainesfere and younger brother to Arl Eamon."

The redhead nodded, bowing slightly. "Yes, my lord. Our companions thought it best that we split up. The three of them are destined for the Circle of Magi at Lake Calenhad while they asked us to come ahead of them to Redcliffe. Alistair was quite adamant that we arrive and make sure things were in order when they arrived."

Teagan examined her carefully for a moment. "Alistair? Could that be the same boy that Eamon cared for? At any rate, things are not as well in order as you can tell. You've heard from Tomas that there have been attacks, I'm sure."

"Yes, yes. We've heard that." Morrigan commented. "I'm not entirely sure what has been going on, but it sounds like some very dark and powerful magic is at work here."

"I'm not sure what's at work here, but there have been numerous deaths in the past week. As you can see, these are all of the villagers that have survived. The monsters attack at nightfall and withdraw at dawn. I've gone to the castle walls and shouted many times, but it's as if there is no on left in the castle."

"Our companions hope to plead their case to Arl Eamon against Teryn Loghain. The Grey Wardens did not kill King Cailen." Leliana said defiantly.

"This I know. Loghain has some other agenda in mind, though I'm not sure what." Teagan told them. "In fact, when he called all of the nobility to him in Denerim, I stood against him. I will not bore you with such tales for now is not the time. Now, I will ask your help, my friends. I know you've only just arrived and are surely weary. "

"We will help you. I am Leliana. This is Morrigan and Sten of the Beresaad. A pleasure to meet you, my lord." The archer said.

The Bann nodded. "The pleasure is mine. I need the assistance of skilled warriors to defend the village from another attack. I do not know how affective we will be, but I believe that we will succeed. Please, speak to Mayor Murdock or Ser Perth. They may need your assistance in their preparations. I hate to be brief, but I must make sure that the Chantry is barricaded."

"The man is to the point." Morrigan pointed out in approval. "I like that."

"Is this truly what we are to do? I'm certain the elf would've made the same decision." Sten commented.

"Yes, our fearless leader would've opted to assist these peasants." The apostate said.

"Well, I for one am glad that Sanile is not cruel. She seems like a very good-hearted person to me." Leliana told them.

"That is what will get us killed." Sten observed. "Or what will get her killed."

"Perhaps it is best to see what this Murdock wishes? I have a feeling that we will be doing a lot of charity this day." Morrigan said.

The redhead shot her a look before they made their way over to the mayor. He was a rough-looking sort of fellow that gave the appearance that he'd worked hard his entire life. The calluses on his hands would tell one that. He had on a dark expression this day as the group approached him. Murdock again nodded at them as they got closer and he began to speak. His voice was rough and lacked sophistication, but did well to get its message across with its baritone.

"So you're the traveling warriors that Tomas found? Forgive me if I don't seem a bit more hospitable. Preparing for a battle with the undead will do that to one." Murdock told them.

"We understand, my lord. There is much to be done. Is there anything we can do to help you prepare for the battle tonight?" Leliana asked.

"The militia will need weapons and armor. Owen, the blacksmith, has locked himself inside his shop and refused to do any smithing for us since his girl, Valena, has disappeared. He's the only one that can make them as fast as we need them. Perhaps you can convince him to start his forge again. Other than that, we're looking for skilled help. Our militia isn't made up of warriors. Go speak to Dwyn who's hidden in his home in the village. He's a merchant from Orzammar and I can guarantee that he knows how to wield a weapon. Other than that, you may want to check with Ser Perth. You've got a lot to do, my friends, so you may want to get started. Nightfall will come quickly. Let us hope that we see dawn."

_**Joyful it seems but**_

_**Then suddenly**_

_**By one false move it's blown away**_

_**Joyful it seems but**_

_**Then suddenly**_

_**Their voices cease its gone away**_

_**Vanished to the point of no return**_

_**Vanished to the point of no return**_

The four doors along the corridor ended up leading to two different chambers, both of which were empty. The last door to open was the one at the end. Sanile looked at both of her friends before pushing the door open. When they stepped through, they saw three adult mages and several apprentices that didn't look to be very old. The attention of the two was drawn by them as the oldest of the three held some sort of barrier over the door. The trio stood silently as white-haired mage turned to address them. Recognition came over her face as she stepped toward them.

"Sanile? Alistair? Elissa? You survived the battle of Ostagar? Thank the Maker! Forgive me if I don't celebrate accordingly." The woman said.

"Wynne?" Alistair asked. "You survived as well? I'm glad."

Wynne shook her head. "How did you manage to get in? The templars have sealed the doors. They're not letting anyone in or out."

"We were determined to search for survivors since Greagoir wouldn't be bothered with it." Elissa told her.

"Well, we certainly appreciate it. I've managed to keep this barrier erected to keep the children safe. If you want to reach the passages beyond, I'll have to lower it. If that is what you intend to do, then I wish to come with you. I have the skills of a spirit healer and a wizened mage. You will need my help."

"Certainly, Wynne, but what has happened here? Ser Greagoir said that there were demons and abominations running loose in the halls." Sanile asked.

"Oh Sanile some of the mages have turned against the Circle and we have something of a revolt on our hands. A mage named Uldred led a revolt against the First Enchanter. They were all trained in blood magic." Wynne explained.

Alistair took a step closer behind Sanile. "You mean we're dealing with maleficar? They've been summoning these things?"

"I can't be sure, my boy." The older mage said, shaking her head. "I can tell you that this has been going to for days, a week even. I've held this barrier for quite some time."

"Let's get going then." Elissa said with a nod. "I'm ready to slay these things and put a stop to this. We need to regroup with the others as soon as possible."

"Others?" Wynne questioned. "There are others who survived?"

Elissa snorted. "I wouldn't go that far. The princess here has a champion's charisma, so she's attracted followers. We've sent them on to Redcliffe ahead of us."

"It's not at all like that, Elissa." Sanile said, embarrassed. "We've needed all the help we can get and so far, all the members of the party have been willing to join. Now, can you lower the barrier, Wynne?"

A younger mage with strawberry blonde hair shook her head in protest. "If you're going into the tower, I want to go with you, Wynne."

"It is best for you to stay here, Petra. You and Kinnon must look after the children. You must make sure that nothing comes through these doors after we leave. The two of you are the only protection for these children now, do you understand?" Wynne asked her seriously.

"Yes, Wynne." Petra nodded quietly.

"Now," Wynne began, "once I shatter the barrier, we will have no choice but to proceed into the tower."

"Shatter it, Wynne." Sanile said. "The sooner we clear the tower of these abominations and demons, the sooner we can save any survivors."

"I've held this barrier for such a long time. I didn't think anyone would come unless it was the templars when they received the Right of Annulment." Wynne stated honestly.

"You did what you had to do, Wynne." Sanile said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"And we showed up." Alistair pointed out. "I'd say that that's much better than the templars."

Wynne chuckled. "Yes, I'd say that it is. I'd have been fleeing for my life had they showed up."

"No you wouldn't. You'd have stood your ground to protect those children." Elissa commented as they crossed the threshold. "You are no coward, Wynne."

Wynne closed her eyes and raised her hand. After a moment or two of concentration, the barrier seemed to take tangible form and shattered. The four of them moved through the doorway and into the surrounding corridors. Charred corpses and the bodies of templars were scattered throughout the hallway as Sanile led them into the first chamber. The elf nearly jumped out of her skin when several sloth abominations charged at her from behind an array of book shelves.

As her blades and those of her companions were laid into the abominations, terrible noises came from the floor, which was made of stone. Two bright spots appeared a few feet apart as fiery hands pulled at the floor to lift up whatever they were attached to. A pair of lesser rage demons joined the abominations in their assault. Elissa and Alistair had taken the three abominations while Sanile decided to tangle with the rage demons. Wynne remained at a safe distance while she used her magic to heal the others, cast protective glyphs, and attack their adversaries.

Elissa took a bash to the head as she swiftly brought her sword around to slay the abomination she had been attacking. The black-haired woman blinked several times before she could clear her vision enough to continue with the final sloth abomination. Alistair had slain his opponent and was currently beating the flames off of his shoulder. The lesser rage demons were putting up more of a resistance than Sanile expected. She currently had her arms crossed over her face to shield it from the flames that were being shot at her. The elf hissed as she felt the skin of her lower arms cracking and peeling. Her brunette companion came to her aid and assisted her in slaying the rage demons. When they were the only four remaining in the chamber, Sanile allowed her face to contort in agony.

"Let me see those burns, my dear." Wynne said, coming closer.

Alistair was already bent over examining the damaged tissue of the elf's arms. "Maker. These burns look horrible, Sanile."

Wynne was already digging through her pack for bandages. When they'd been located, she tossed them to the templar. "Alistair, apply pressure to Sanile's arms. That will slow the bleeding. I must take care of Elissa's fractured skull. That will be the easier of the two to fix."

"My head trauma's not so bad." Elissa declared. "I'm just having a bit of a problem with double vision."

Sanile held up her arms so that Alistair could apply the bandages. In truth, the only burned flesh existed along half of her forearms and around the bends of her elbows. Alistair apologized every time he applied pressure to the damaged skin and caused the elf to hiss. They had all been injured before, but those had only been bruises and minor scrapes. The injuries would probably only get worse from this moment forward.

"I don't believe I've ever been burned to this extent." Sanile said, trying to make conversation to keep her mind off the pain.

"Once, when I was younger, I had the keen desire to set things ablaze with a lit candle." Alistair said, pausing for a moment.

"Oh?" the elf queried. "How did you staunch that desire?"

"I burned away the hair from my eyebrows one time. Not only was it slightly painful, I looked ridiculous as well."

The blonde giggled a bit, which made the brunette smile. Her injuries would be okay. Burns of that sort were not too serious and Wynne could probably heal her fairly easily. They'd be clearing the tower in no time…hopefully.

_**Witness my last breath**_

_**I do not regret**_

_**A word I've said**_

_**The strong will survive**_

_**The weak must die**_

The horizon had turned the color of blood as the sun began to sink behind the distant Frostback Mountains to the west; an ill omen. The remaining villagers that dared to walk the streets of Redcliffe appeared nervous and filled with anxiety as the twilight began to set in. Leliana brushed a stray strand of red hair behind her ear as she surveyed the scenery before her. The dying light of the sun was fleeting, quick to cover land in a blanket of darkness. Morrigan and Sten were at her side as Ser Perth and the knights of Redcliffe stood ready at the barricades. Her eyes narrowed at the fog that was quickly emerging from the castle and moving toward them. She heard the villagers as they cried out in alarm, fleeing to the Chantry. The mist rolled along as if it had its own agenda, following the curves of the road and the slopes of the hills.

"You humans dabble in things that are none of your concern." Sten said in a tone as close to disgust as he could manage.

"You speak of magic, I assume." Morrigan replied.

The Qunari nodded. "Magic should serve no other purpose but to heal. Any use further from that is dangerous and troublesome."

The witch snorted at this. "You see, that is where I'd have to disagree. Magic is quite useful, especially when you are able to use it to reanimate the dead to fight as an ally."

"I do not agree with that." Leliana put in. "It is against the Maker's will, but I will admit that it is a useful thing when we need aid."

All further conversation was cancelled as the fog rolled to a halt on the slope of the hill in front of them. Inhuman voices and sounds echoed from its bowels as several shapes began to take form. When the creatures emerged, they took the form of the walking dead; skeletons. Morrigan didn't wait for them to come any closer. Switching her staff to an offensive position, she fired a round of chain lightning into the midst of the undead. Leliana was swiftly behind her as she knocked an arrow and released it to impact with one of the undead. Sten lunged into the thick of his enemies, swinging the greatsword he carried with startling precision. The knights and Ser Perth quickly followed after them. The more cursed creatures that they slew, the more seemed to take their place. As the warriors seemed to be pushing their enemies back, the moral of the knights seemed to grow. The men were charging forward rather than simply defending their ground. Leliana knocked two arrows and trapped the last of the skeletons with a pinning shot when the cries of one of the militia members could be heard as he rose over the top of the hill.

"The monsters are attacking from the lake! Come quickly!" he shouted as he raced back the way he had come.

"Ser Perth, you and the knights please stay here and guard the road to the castle." Leliana urged as she raced down the hill toward the village. Her two companions were hot on her heels.

When they reached the barricaded circle, Murdock and the rest of the militia were fending off a small horde of the undead. A fog identical to the one emanating from the castle seemed to fill all of the streets and alleyways of Redcliffe village. The gruesome snarls that the creatures made sounded not only from the within the barricades, but on the lake shores as well. Morrigan kept her distance, as well did Leliana, as Sten rushed headlong into the fray. The dark-haired witch was in deep concentration while she cast a drain life spell. The redheaded archer released a crippling shot as Sten downed the wounded opponent with a mighty blow. The first wave of monsters had been defeated.

"Don't lower your weapons just yet, you fools." Murdock scolded. "Here they come."

The snarls, growls, and hisses were heard before the creatures were ever seen. Some came rushing toward the militia while the others trudged awkwardly behind. No matter how they moved, their intentions were the same; destroy the living. Skeletal hands with rotting flesh gripped rushed and damaged blades as they swung stiffly at their targets with little or no finesse. As the militia men pushed them back, the ghouls began to crumble one by one. As the last of monsters fell, a large cheer rose from the men. They had survived.

Murdock stood in shock with his sword and shield hanging limply at his sides. "Andraste's holy knickers, we did it. We defeated the corpses!"

"Not without casualties, I'm afraid." Morrigan told him as she approached the rambunctious group slowly.

"Maker…Tomas!" Murdock exclaimed as he rushed to his fallen comrade. He jerked the leather helm from his head as he smacked his cheek gently to keep him conscious.

The golden hair on the man's head was stained crimson on the left side; a nasty cranial injury. Liquid of the same color also snaked from his ears and yet more of the precious fluid stained his teeth as he released a wavering breath. "I'm…I'm sorry, Murdock. I-I couldn't…"

"Shut your mouth, boy." The mayor said as he fought the emotion that was welling up within him. "You did well. You helped to save this village. Without you, we'd have been lost."

Tomas said nothing as he fought to breathe, his eyes glazed with death. After another shuddering breath or two, he ceased altogether. His body relaxed one final time in the mayor's arms. The older man hung his head and shook it in sorrow. "Maker watch over you, son."

"May his soul be at peace." Leliana murmured. "I am afraid there will be many more deaths along this journey."

Sten snorted. "This is a war without a clear enemy. Of course there will be more death."

"You knew this when you so wished to join us. Our leader and the other Grey Wardens carry a heavy burden on their shoulders. 'Tis foolish to expect a pleasurable stroll on a war path, is it not?" Morrigan pointed out.

Leliana moved away a bit, hugging herself for a bit of comfort. "You are right. I should not have expected things to be so easy. Many will return to the Maker's hands before we are through."

Murdock gently placed Tomas's body on the ground and closed his eyelids, moving him no more. "We will keep vigil tonight to make sure that no more of those things return. I will not lose any more of this village's people."

_**And out of the mist**_

_**It's coming closer now**_

_**Sinner and saints—**_

_**The grateful slaves**_

After encountering the Tranquil, Owain, it was discovered that a group of mages set out with the Litany of Adrala in an attempt to stop Uldred and save the Circle. The leader of this group, Nial, had been determined that they could complete such a task. Wynne had informed the group that they had almost reached the top of the tower; they had but a few more floors to climb before they reached the Harrowing Chamber. The higher the quartet climbed, the more the tower looked like it had been overrun with the supernatural. Flesh-like tissue covered the walls and doorways had been piled full of furniture in an attempt to keep the creatures out. As they entered the next floor, all was quiet. Sanile had an ill feeling about the first door to their right and told her teammates such.

The other rooms were checked in response to this; one room holding a desire demon with a bewitched templar and the other containing a blood mage with controlled templars. Once they had all been dealt with, Sanile and her party headed back toward the door they'd first skipped over. Taking a deep breath, the elf pushed the door open slowly. In the center of the chamber, there looked to be three mirrors. All were overgrown with the same fleshy tissue they'd found all over the tower. A body lay in the floor, seemingly unconscious and unmoving. The creature that turned to face them strongly resembled an abomination. It seemed different from the others somehow. Wynne held back by the doorway warily as the others began to make their way in.

"I advise that we use caution around this creature. It is not as it seems." The mage told them.

"Nothing in this place is as it seems." Elissa snorted. "Once we leave here, I'll have had my fill of blood magic and maleficar for a long time."

"I totally agree." Alistair whispered. "Nothing good ever comes from blood magic. What about you, Sanile?"

The elf was silent for a moment or two before replying. "I think that I'd like to be out of here as soon as possible."

"Welcome strangers, you seem incredibly weary." The creature told them, its voice surprisingly enchanting. "Why not take a little rest?"

That was when Sanile noticed her eyelids getting heavy. She turned quickly to Alistair, who seemed to be having the same problem. "I'm feeling very tired all of a sudden. It's not just me, is it?"

"No, blondie, it's not just you." Elissa said, stifling a yawn. "I feel like I haven't slept in weeks."

"That's right. Succumb to your desires to sleep. You must be so tired of fighting. The world will continue on without you." The creature continued. "What is a little rest compared to that?"

Alistair stumbled forward a bit, slumping a bit on Sanile as he shook his head to stay awake. "We shouldn't listen to this thing." He yawned, his head nodding forward to rest on hers. "Something's…not right."

"Alistair." Sanile called to him, smacking his cheek weakly. "Alistair, please…wake up."

"We must not…falter." Wynne said holding her head.

"I don't think…I can stay awake…any longer." Elissa told them as she dropped to the floor.

Sanile blinked her eyes furiously to keep them open, but she felt them fluttering. Her companions slumped one by one to the floor, fast asleep. The cry that had been ringing out in her mind was silenced as all of her other thoughts became hazy. The last thing that the blonde elf could recall was staring up through blurred vision at the creature standing over her. The world that she was about to enter was nothing like she'd ever experienced and would test her abilities as a warrior and her resilience as a person.

_**Nature's law instead of God in heaven**_

_The Beyond was nothing like she'd imagined it would be; at least this small corner of it. The Dalish had always portrayed the Beyond as a bright and shining realm where the spirits of the dead went upon being seen off by their loved ones. This place more resembled a twisted, ever-changing nightmare. The islands that held the generals that guarded Sloth had been defeated and the way to the demon was still blocked. None of her friends had been found on the previous islands, so that left the remaining three to be searched. This most likely would not be an easy task._

_Sanile stepped away from the Fade pedestal cautiously as she moved to investigate the first of the three islands. Elissa was standing with a small group of others looking quite happy to say the least. The elf approached them with care as the ebony-haired Grey Warden turned to spot her, a large smile on her face._

_"Princess! There you are! I'd been wondering when I'd see you again. I'm sure you're wondering who all these people are."_

_"Lissa? Who's your friend?" the younger of the men asked as he approached them._

_"Oh! This is my friend, Sanile. Sanile, this is my brother, Fergus. Those are my mum and dad, the teryn and teryna of Highever. The ones next to them are my sister-in-law and my nephew." Elissa explained._

_"Is your friend going to stay for a while then, little sister?" Fergus asked._

_"Well, princess, are you?"_

_Sanile pulled Elissa away from the group for a moment. The noblewoman cast her a strange look for the action before listening what she had to say. "Look, Elissa, you may not want to hear this, but none of this is real."_

_"What do you mean none of its real? How could you say something like that?" Elissa asked, offended by the statement._

_"Let me put it another way. What does the term Grey Warden mean to you? Can you remember what you were doing before you were here?" the elf asked, practically pleading._

_"I know what a Grey Warden is and I don't really remember what I was doing before I was here." Elissa snapped angrily, drawing the attention of her family._

_"I'll be blunt then." Sanile said tightly. "Your family was killed by Arl Howe and your brother was out scouting in the Kocari Wilds during the battle of Ostagar. You, Alistair, and I are the only three Grey Wardens left and it's up to us to slay the Archdemon and quell the Blight. Think hard. What were you doing?"_

_Elissa furrowed her brow in thought as she stared at a vacant spot on the ground in front of her. "I remember…a tower. The Circle of Magi…the sloth demon! I'm asleep! Maker's breath! Sanile, we've got to get out of here!"_

_"You will not take her from her family." Fergus said forcefully. "We won't let you."_

_Before their eyes, the appearance of the Couslands melted away to become those of ash wraiths. The two female Wardens leapt into battle with the creatures as they charged at them. Elissa had a renewed vigor about her as she swung her sword and bashed her opponent with her shield. Her sinister laughter echoed across the small battlefield and caused Sanile to shake her head. She was glad to see that this place hadn't changed her friend in the least. As Elissa beheaded the last of the wraiths, she turned to Sanile._

_"Thanks, princess. I'd have been stuck here forever if you hadn't showed up. Where are the others?"_

_The elf shook her head. "I'm not sure. There are two islands left for me to search and then we'll defeat sloth. It's going to be a difficult task, but if I found you, I can find them too."_

_"We certainly can." Elissa replied as she felt something odd. Looking down, she was starting to disappear. "Wait, what's going on? I'm waking up! I can't wake up yet! I've got to help you, princess!"_

_In the blink of an eye, she was gone. Sanile sighed but smiled wearily as she turned and made her way back to the Fade pedestal. At least she knew Elissa was safe now. The elf could only hope that Alistair and Wynne were just as safe as Elissa had been. Once she'd reached the pedestal, she was headed to the next island._

_**From far beyond**_

_**I can hear them sing**_

_**I hear angels sing**_

_**Songs of innocence**_

_**I hear the angel sing**_

_The next island was far drearier than the last and Sanile had a distinct feeling of depression as she stepped away from the pedestal. As she traveled down the rocky path warily, she kept her eyes open for Wynne or Alistair. The path began to widen out, allowing the elf to see a bit more of what lay before her. Several figures quickly came into her line of vision and caused her to quicken her pace. Wynne stood over several bodies looking to them in a distressed manner._

_"So much death. They were so young to be the ones making this sacrifice." Wynne said, looking up at Sanile. "I will mourn their loss and scatter their bones into the four winds."_

_"Wynne, please snap out of it. We still have much to do." Sanile said gently._

_"How dare you act as if you know everything? How dare you act so unsympathetic?" Wynne bit out crossly. "Leave me to grieve for them in peace."_

_The elf shook her head as she placed a hand gently on the spirit healer's shoulder. "I know the sorrow you must be feeling Wynne, but this isn't like you. You are not one to give up."_

_"How do you presume to know who I am? You know nothing about me."_

_"Please, Wynne, try to focus. What was the task you had taken up before you came here? Please try to remember." Sanile pleaded._

_Wynne shook her head in irritation. "I do not know what good this will do, but I will do as you say." She said, her brow furrowing after a moment or two of concentration. "It's hard to focus for some reason. Everything seems so heavy. We must defeat Uldred! Come, Sanile, let us leave this place."_

_As the two turned to leave, the apprentices that appeared to be dead rose to their feet. A young male elf approached the wizened mage with a sincere look on his face. "Stay, Wynne. Stay in the comforting embrace of the earth. We need you, Wynne."_

_"What?" the white-haired mage gasped, raising her staff to attack. "You will stay away from me, foul demon." _

_"You shall not escape."_

_The fallen apprentices rose one by one, their staves all pointed at the Warden and the spirit healer. Spells launched in all directions and the targets were difficult to see with all the magical explosions. Wynne used a glyph of protection on herself and Sanile as the elf darted in to deal with the apprentices with her blades. Once the Wynne had dispelled the last of the apprentices, her companion made her way over. _

_"Thank you, my friend. Without your help, I would've been trapped here."_

_Sanile smiled as she shook her head. "I knew that giving up wasn't like you. You're a strong woman."_

_"We should return to the task at hand." The mage said as she held her staff tightly. "There is much to do and we still must find Alistair before we face Sloth."_

_The elf agreed as Wynne made her way toward the Fade pedestal. The elderly woman took another step forward before she began to disappear. Sanile shook her head. She'd expected this to happen because something similar had occurred with Elissa. The blonde sighed as she prepared to move to the final island. _

_**Despite the facts are clear**_

_**It cannot be what we can't see**_

_**I must admit, it sounds so sweet**_

_This place looked identical to the two she'd visited before it. The twists and turns were a bit different, but the landscape was the same. The voices of children floated to her ears as she made her way along the path. Sanile came upon a large fire with a cooking pot hung over its center. Alistair stood with a woman whose red-gold hair brushed her shoulders. There were children playing around the area. The elf made her way over as the brunette happened to look up and spot her. A large smile curved his mouth as he waved to her._

_"It's you, Sanile! I'd wondered where you'd been. I'd like you to meet my sister, Goldanna. These are her children. There are more running around here somewhere. We're one big happy family." Alistair chirped._

_"Doesn't that seem just a little odd to you, Alistair?" Sanile asked. "Don't you feel like you should be doing something else?"_

_"Oh nonsense." The brunette replied, waving her off. "Why don't you stay for dinner? Goldanna's making her meat pies! Oh you will, won't you?"_

_The older woman smiled at him. "Of course little brother. Will your friend be staying?"_

_"Please stay! You can, can't you?"_

_Sanile looked a bit uneasy, but smiled nonetheless as she shook her head. "I can't stay, Alistair, and neither should you."_

_A calculating scowl came over the templar's face as he studied the elf. "You're acting strangely and I don't think I like it."_

_"Please, Alistair, might I speak with you a moment?" she asked him. "It's about something that we were doing before."_

_"If it will explain why you're not behaving like you normally do, then yes, you may." He responded in a tight voice._

_"Doesn't this seem strange to you? Your sister and her children suddenly appear from nowhere in particular and you don't think that a little strange?" Sanile asked. "We were searching for Nial and the Litany of Adrala. We were trying to stop Uldred."_

_"I'm tired of the fighting, Sanile." Alistair said, averting his gaze. "I don't want to go."_

_The elf took his hands gently, giving them a squeeze. "I know you don't, Alistair, but I wouldn't ask anything of you if I didn't think it was for your own well being. Please, come with me." She said, giving his arms a little tug. "Please, Alistair."_

_Alistair felt his cheeks warm as he stared down at his companion. Her eyes were pleading as she bit her lower lip in her insecurity. He smiled at her and freed one of his hands so he could scrub the top of her head with it. "You're right. We've got a Blight to stop and if we don't complete this task, we'll never reach the Archdemon. There are too many lives at stake. Let's go."_

_As the templar turned back to the woman who was supposed to be his sister, an ugly scowl had placed itself on her face. "You cannot go. He's ours and you can't have him."_

_"G-Goldanna?" Alistair stuttered as the forms of the children around them began to melt and revealed skeleton warriors and archers instead. _

_Goldanna launched herself at Sanile as Alistair leapt to help her. The two Grey Wardens felled the creature rather quickly as they turned to battle their other enemies. Alistair broke away from Sanile to take on a pair of shambling skeletons while Sanile moved to challenge a pair of skeleton archers. The four dark creatures were quickly dispatched and Alistair was quickly moving toward her after he'd put away his weapons. _

_"Are you all right, Alistair?" Sanile asked as she secured her weapons._

_"I'm fine." The brunette said, shaking his head. "I just can't believe that I was fooled so easily by a dream. Promise you won't tell anyone how easily I was fooled?"_

_The elf smiled as she nodded quickly. "I promise I won't tell anyone."_

_As Alistair was about to make another comment, he stopped short. He looked down at himself as he started to fade. "Wait, what's happening? Where are you going? Hey!"_

_Sanile sighed as Alistair disappeared as well. Would she have to defeat Sloth on her own? The way things were looking now, she would. At least the others had gotten away if she failed. She also had to free Nial from the demon's hold so that he could return and assist them with destroying Uldred. It was time to venture forth and destroy Sloth._

_**Joyful it seems but**_

_**Then suddenly**_

_**By one false move it's blown away**_

_**Joyful it seems but**_

_**Then suddenly**_

_**Their voices cease it's gone away**_

_**Vanished to the point of no return**_

_**Vanished to the point of no return**_

_The center island that had been the demon's stronghold had been infiltrated. The elf made her way to the heart of the landscape; the very center. The craggy ground that stretched infinitely around her was intimidating. A large rock formation stood in the center of the rough ground. A white figure floated almost casually like it was waiting for her. Sanile stared it straight in the face as she approached it cautiously. Sloth let out a rather dull and irritated sigh._

_"I do so hate it when slaves are disobedient. Weren't you content to live in your dream? Weren't you content with the happiness that I offered you?"_

_"What you offered was complacency. You offered a dream which was intended to keep me pacified so that I would not fight back." The Dalish woman said defiantly. "I find it quite disgusting that you used my memory of Duncan in such a perverse manner."_

_Sloth chuckled to himself lightly. "Such a selfish creature you are, mortal. What of your friends? They were quite happy in their dreams. You took that from them. If you return to your dream now, I promise I will do a better job this time."_

_With a wave of his hand, four figures stood to his side. Merrill, Fenarel, Tamlen, and Keeper Marethari all looked at her expectantly. It was then that her friends began to materialize one by one behind her. Sanile stared at the figures in shock. Did the Sloth demon truly have this much power? The elf ignored the calling of her companions as she stared at her clan members that stood before her._

_"You have been gone for quite some time, Dalen." Marethari said gently. "Why don't you return to your clan? You've been through so much."_

_"This isn't real." Sanile uttered, her voice trembling. "None of you are real. Tamlen…you're…he's dead."_

_Tamlen laughed outright at her; like the real Tamlen would. "I'm here and very much alive, Lethallin. See for yourself."_

_As the male elf extended his hand, Sanile slowly moved to take it. The sudden pressure of fingers circling themselves around her wrist made her jump. The blonde quickly turned her head to see Elissa starring at her with a worried expression on her face. Sanile's eyes were wide with surprise._

_"Don't let him get to you, princess. I know you want to believe that this is real. I know you want to believe that the people you love are standing before you. As much as it hurts me to tell you, they're not really there." The noblewoman said gently._

_"Remember what we must do, Sanile." Wynne said, nodding slowly. "We must defeat Sloth to return."_

_Alistair placed his hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently as he saw her look up at him in a questioning manner. "Come on, Sanile. You were the one that woke the lot of us up. You can't give in to him now. Besides, as much as I hate to admit it, we have to finish our business here and catch up to Morrigan and the others."_

_The elf looked between her human friends and the friends of her clan. They all looked at her questioningly. It caused her heart to waver; they looked like the originals, sounded like the originals. Sanile clenched her eyes closed and shook her head. Perhaps she'd been away from the world of the living for too long. As her eyes flew open, she stumbled backward into Alistair, who'd caught her gently with both hands on her shoulders. Sanile tried to harden her expression; her eyes. She would have to get past these creatures to defeat Sloth._

_"You are not real." She told the figures of her clan, her voice shaking. "Tamlen is dead. Keeper Marethari has moved the clan north and that includes Merrill and Fenarel. You're nothing but an illusion."_

_The carefully woven fibers of the illusion rippled for a moment as the elf declared the beings before her as her own imaginings. The Keeper took a few paces forward, a concerned look on her face. Marethari clutched her staff tightly as she continued to stare at Sanile. "Da'len, please return to us. Those people are poisoning you against us."_

_Knocking an arrow, Sanile pulled back on the bow string with all of her strength. The elf let the arrow fly as she released the string, finding its mark in Sloth. The demon growled as it pulled the wooden shaft from his shoulder and tossed it to the ground. His form began to shift and change as the images of Sanile's clan mates disappeared. "I tried to make you see reason. I tried to convince you to go back without force. Now it seems you leave me with no choice."_

_The elves before them shifted their forms to those of various demons. The four companions leapt into battle as the Sloth demon, in the form of an ogre, ambled toward them slowly. The lesser demons were making their way toward Sanile as she released another arrow that impacted with Sloth. The elf caught their movements from the corner of her eye and quickly replaced the ranged weapon in favor of her daggers. She blocked the arm of one demon with her wrist while she sliced at another with her left. Pushing the first demon back, her dagger found its mark in the creature's abdominal cavity. The remaining two advanced a bit more slowly._

_While Sanile was dealing with the demons, the others were combating Sloth. Elissa used her shield defense to block a swing of a massive hand that sent her sliding back several feet. Alistair stabbed the monster in the flank, causing it to release a horrifying cry. Wynne was quickly healing their damage and releasing arcane blasts simultaneously. As Sanile dispatched the remaining demons and turned to aid her companions, Sloth's form changed. He was losing power. The arcane horror form of Sloth launched itself at the elf in a sort of rage. She'd undone all of his enchantments, after all. He extended his long, wispy, claw-like fingers while the blonde's back was still turned. Sanile's head snapped back as a strangled breath was sucked in. It felt like her shoulder muscles were on fire. Her face screwed in a pained determination as she let out an enraged cry, slicing the arcane horror from crown to crotch. Alistair beat Sloth back with the use of his shield bash. _

_Sloth changed his shape a third time as he seemed to be slowing down. His movements, where they had been sharp and quickly calculated before, now seemed haggard and sluggish in comparison. Sloth had taken on the form of a sloth abomination as he continued to take damage from the party. Wynne used her knowledge of glyphs to protect herself from the incoming attacks. She also used them to prevent Sloth from moving for short amounts of time. Elissa and Alistair attempted to inflict damage during the moments that Sloth had been incapacitated. Sanile had opted for using her ranged weapons as the depth of the wound inflicted to her back made it hard to swing her arms. Pulling the bowstring back, she released her arrows in rapid succession. Their effort was rewarded when sloth abomination was transformed into a lesser sloth demon. It was with a few blows that the creature finally gave a wail. Elissa made the final blow, slicing the creature several times across the middle and once across the neck. Sloth let out a horrible cry as he dissolved into the ground._

"_Thank the Maker that's finally over." Elissa grumbled. "We've been dawdling around here long enough."_

"_I couldn't agree more, my girl." Wynne nodded. "Now, let us find Nial."_

"_Sanile, are you alright?" Alistair asked as he caught a glance of their leader as she struggled to put her bow away._

"_I'm fine. It was just a scratch between the shoulders. It's nothing to worry about, Alistair." The elf replied with a gentle smile._

"_If you say so." The brunette replied suspiciously as the blonde moved in front of them._

_As the elf slowly began leading them toward a Fade pedestal, the figure of Nial came into view. He held a saddened and weary expression on his face as a small smile curled his lips. Sanile came to a halt in front of him, causing the others to follow suit. "Nial? You found us."_

"_Yes, I did. After I had seen you do it a few times, I decided to try for myself. I can't believe that you actually defeated Sloth! Now you can return to the real world." The mage said gently._

"_Yes, but what about you?" Elissa asked. "Won't you come with us?"_

_Nial shook his head slowly. "I've been here for far too long. For you, it will be like waking from an afternoon nap. Please, take the Litany of Adrala from my…my body. It will shield your minds against the blood mages. Defeat Uldred. Save the Circle."_

"_We'll save everyone that we can." Sanile nodded, her eyes shining as they began to disappear; to wake up. "You're a hero, Nial, and we will make sure that no one ever forgets you."_

"_Thank you, my friend." Nial called even as they were gone from sight. "Goodbye."_

_**Well we all know there's no other side**_

_**It's good and evil **_

_**I know right between, there's no borderline**_

_**This is the punishment divine**_

_**Surrounded by night, I've been offered insight**_

_**There is none but the sin of pride**_

_**Am I wrong? Am I right? Am I losing my sight?**_

_**Abandoning the superior mind**_

The sun was slowly rising from the direction of Denerim and Dragon's Peak. A feeling that was not peace, but a feeling of relief, passed over the remaining citizens of Redcliffe. Bann Teagan sighed as he ran a gloved hand through his sandy hair. It had been a long night and there had been many deaths in order to keep the village safe. There was still no word from the castle. As the first light of dawn was breaking through the darkness, the accursed creatures had retreated. Staring toward the rising sun, an idea formed in his mind and began to grow. Bann Teagan had not enjoyed delivering the speech to the remaining villagers especially when his mind was more focused on his brother. It could easily be deduced that everyone in the castle had perished, but that fact wasn't certain. Teagan couldn't leave any survivors in that place a moment longer.

Making his way toward the hill with his mind set, Bann Teagan motioned to the newcomers to follow him. Leliana exchanged glances with the rest of her friends as she fell into step beside Bann Teagan. They continued walking until they reached the windmill. Once Teagan was sure that they were alone, he exhaled loudly. The small group that had accompanied him was watching him carefully as his plan continued to formulate. The mage, Morrigan, huffed impatiently as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You're going to ask us for something else, aren't you?" she asked dully.

"I'm sorry, my friends." Bann Teagan apologized as he nodded. "Those creatures came from the castle. I know that the chances of anyone that was inside survived are slim, but I believe that there is a chance."

"How do you propose we enter?" Sten asked. "Undoubtedly there will be more of those creatures inside. We cannot simply enter through the front gate."

"I realize this. That is why we've come to the windmill. There is a secret entrance to the castle through the windmill that only my family can use. The seal on my ring will open it. We can enter the castle through the windmill. We can determine the fate of those inside once we leave the dungeons."

Leliana nodded. "We'll have to enter the castle and discover what happened to the Arl. It's very important that our friends talk to him. We'll help you, Bann Teagan."

"Thank you, my friends." Teagan smiled. "You don't know how much this means—"

"Teagan!" a voice shouted. It was accompanied by the sound of running feet. "Teagan! Please Teagan! You have to help me!"

Turning around, the sandy-haired Bann felt his eyes widen as he saw the woman that was hurrying toward him. "Isolde? Isolde! Thank the Maker you're alive!"

"Oh, Teagan! You have to come with me to the castle, quickly!" The arlessa exclaimed. "I don't have much time."

"Isolde, what's going on?" Teagan asked. "We haven't heard from the castle in days. Most of us thought that everyone must be dead. What is going on?"

"There's no time to explain, Teagan! You must come with me at once. It's Connor!" Isolde begged. "We must go quickly!"

"I don't think it wise to run head-long into danger when we don't know a thing about our enemy." Morrigan snipped. "I plan on living a bit longer."

The arlessa turned to the apostate, a sneer curling her lips. "Who are you to talk to me in such a manner."

"Morrigan means no offense, madam." Leliana apologized, bowing slightly. "We would simply like to know the details of the happenings within the castle. We can't face a foe we know so little about."

"You spoke words that were untrue, minstrel." Morrigan said in a sickeningly sweet voice. "I did mean offense in this case."

"Who are you people?" Isolde demanded.

"They're friends of Grey Wardens, Isolde." Teagan explained. "They were sent ahead to make a plea to Arl Eamon. They've helped us with the creatures that attacked from the castle last night. Now, can you tell us what's going on?"

With a sigh, the arlessa began to explain. "It all started when Connor's tutor started teaching him magic. I called in a mage outside of the Circle so that my son could be taught enough to control it. If they found him to be a mage, they would take him away."

"So your fool-hardy actions have caused something worse in the long run?" Morrigan huffed. "That's why you normal people shouldn't dabble in magic."

"It didn't start until the tutor poisoned my husband!" Isolde protested. "The mage admitted everything about being an assassin sent to kill Eamon. That was when the demon came and the castle was overrun with the walking dead. The creature allowed us to live, though I don't know why. I spoke to Jowan again, but he insisted he had nothing to do with the demon. He kept the same story even when we tortured him."

"So the Veil has been weakened. That must have been caused by the child, yes?" Leliana asked. "That would explain the creatures in the village."

Sten growled at this. "I told you, magic is not to be trifled with. Especially when one cannot control it."

"That is why you must come with me, Teagan! I have come for you help and the demon instructed me to bring you and you alone. Please, you must help me save Connor!" the arlessa begged, her voice breaking.

The Bann from Rainesfere sighed as he nervously ran his hand through his hair. "Go wait with the guards, Isolde. I must consult with my friends for a moment."

"Very well, but please hurry." Isolde consented, striding quickly back to her guards.

Teagan moved a little closer to the windmill with the small group in tow. Turning back to them, he removed the glove from his right hand. "I must go with Lady Isolde. If there is any chance that I can delay the demon from the inside, now is my chance."

"I do not agree with this, my lord." Leliana stated, frowning. "It could be a trap to lure you into the castle."

"I have little choice, Leliana." The Bann said gravely. "That is why I'm going to send you through the secret passage in the windmill. It will lead you into the dungeons. You can enter the castle from there."

"So you're willing to possibly sacrifice yourself for the sake of saving a few lives?" Sten asked. "I do not see the point in becoming a martyr. One of your status could do much more alive."

"This is my brother and his family that are in danger; my family. I must do this even though the chance of success is very small." Teagan replied stonily as he removed the ring from his right hand. "This is the seal that will open the passage. You must be swift in making your way through the castle. I pray that it is not too late to save my brother. Now I must go. I'm leaving our rescue in the hands of you three." Two barks echoed through the air. "I stand corrected; you five. Now, I must go. Maker watch over us all."

_**Joyful it seems but  
Then suddenly  
By one false move it's blown away  
Joyful it seems but  
Then suddenly  
Their voices cease it's gone away  
Vanished to the point of no return  
Vanished to the point of no return**_

Leliana took the ring silently and watched as the Bann made his way to Arlessa Isolde and they disappeared up the path to the castle. Once they'd disappeared from sight, the redhead turned and made for the windmill. After a few minutes of clearing straw from the floor, a trap door was discovered in the floor. Leliana found the small recess made for the insertion of the ring and placed the seal downward into the door. With a loud click, she pulled the trap door up. The only thing that she could see below was darkness. Swallowing thickly, the cloister sister took to the ladder and began her descent.

Once they'd reached the bottom, Morrigan muttered a spell that lit the peak of her staff and provided a small amount of light in the dark tunnel. A scent of must and wet dirt surrounded them as the mabari moved out in front. Low growls could be heard as the canines disappeared into the darkness. As the dirt path transformed to stone floor, the sound of helpless screams reached them from within the dungeon. Dante and Frender had already leapt into battle with the four shambling corpses that had been focused on one of the cells. Leliana drew her bow and knocked an arrow as Morrigan began casting and Sten rushed into battle with his Great Sword. The final shambling corpse had somehow made it past them, forcing Leliana to draw one of her blades and slash it across the throat. The creature fell to the ground, killed a second time.

"Hello?" the redhead called gently as she advanced and tucked her weapons away. "Is someone there?"

"Y-yes! I've been locked in here!" a male voice called back. "My name is Jowan."

"Then you are the mage that caused this?" Morrigan asked.

"I didn't cause this." The dark-haired mage argued. "Lady Isolde believes that I did, however. I was sent by Teryn Loghain to kill the Arl. He told me that if I would do this for him, he would stop the Chantry and the Templars from looking for me."

"Why would Chantry be looking for you?" Leliana asked. "Is it because you are outside of the Circle?"

"It's because I'm a maleficar; a blood mage. I was summoned here to teach Connor to hide his powers as a mage and prevent him from being sent to the Tower for training. He somehow managed to tear open the Veil and allow the demon through. Lady Isolde refuses to believe that her son has caused this and has turned into an abomination. She tortured me for the truth and that's how I ended up here." Jowan explained.

"I say that if there is no use for him, kill him or set him free." Morrigan snapped. "There is no sense in keeping him locked in this cell."

"He is dangerous." Sten commented. "I say we kill him."

"I won't be the one to judge him." Leliana argued. "I will free you so that you may accompany us. We may be able to make through the castle with your help, although I don't agree with blood magic."

"Thank you." Jowan said, nodding his head. "I wish to atone in any way that I can."

Leliana stepped back and allowed the maleficar to exit his cell. "Maker preserve us all." She prayed.

_**(Right away)  
Through the valleys grey  
(I will be gone)  
Through the shapeless land I walk alone  
(I will be gone)  
I'm left alone  
(I will be gone)  
Through the deepest void, a blackened paradise  
(I will be gone)  
I walk alone, I'm left alone**_

End Chapter

* * *

**Well, there you have it; chapter six. I realized as I was rereading this chapter and editing it that I was picturing it as an anime episode and that's actually how I tried to write it. You might be able to see that as you're reading through the chapter. If not, that's okay too. I added the little part at the battle with Sloth with Sanile. Everyone else had seen their own demons, why not her too? Anyway, that wound to the back will not just disappear. I'm planning on a little Sanile/Alistair fluff in the next chapter because of the wound, so it's there for a reason. Anyhow, chapter seven will contain the confrontation with Connor and the showdown with Uldred. I'm also wondering how I'm going to make the journey through…that pass to find the traveling merchant that just so happens to have Shale's control rod. I absolutely love Shale, so **_**she**_** is definitely going to be in the story. The two supporting characters I'm looking forward to writing the most are Oghren and Shale. Also, forgive me if the conversations and sequence of events aren't quite right with the battle at Redcliffe. Like I said, it's been a while since I played that part. I'm still on my Human Noble play through (Elissa) and I just got done with the Urn of Sacred Ashes. What can I say, I've been focused on Gears of War lately. I've already completed both games on all difficulties and now I'm working on the Seriously 2.0 achievement in Gears 2. *dodges fruit* Sorry! Anyway, hopefully it won't take me six plus months to get chapter seven out. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! **

**Aeden **


	7. Conclusion at the Circle Tower

**Author's Note****: I'm sorry once again for taking so long with this chapter. I was having some trouble with it since I haven't played the Circle Tower in a while and I totally had no idea what I was doing with the battle with Uldred, so I pretty much winged it. I'm sorry if it's not up to par with the game. Anyhow, I don't think I would've been able to finish this as quickly if I hadn't been on vacation this past week. That has helped out quite a bit. I used the song "Grace" by Apocalyptica for the battle with Uldred and that's what helped me get through that. Without further ado, chapter seven! **

**Disclaimer****: I own nothing by Sanile and Elissa. Dragon Age Origins belongs respectively to Bioware.**

* * *

Chapter 7

The first thing upon returning from the Fade that she realized was that everything seemed much louder. The cold stone beneath her back served to ease the burning that continued to exist between her shoulder blades. Sanile felt herself being shaken rather roughly. Groaning loudly, the elf pulled her eyes open slowly to see her companions leaning over her. Alistair released a breath he'd been holding while Elissa laughed and attempted to rouse her further. It was Wynne that helped her to her feet. The mage grew concerned when the blonde extended her arm to be pulled up and drew in a sharp breath.

"Is everything all right my dear?" the older woman asked as she scanned for injuries.

"I'm fine, Wynne." Sanile reassured her. "We need to find the Litany of Adrala and stop Uldred before he makes all of this worse."

Alistair stared at their leader, but said nothing in response as they made their way up another flight of stairs. Elissa and Wynne had retrieved the Litany. When they had gotten a little further ahead of the other two he decided to speak. "I saw you in the battle with Sloth. You were injured right here."

The templar poked the spot between her shoulders, evoking a yelp of pain. "Why would you do a thing like that?" the elf asked in a heated tone.

"You lied about your injuries to Wynne. She could heal them for you or you could use an injury kit." Alistair said plainly.

"I didn't see the point of Wynne using her strength uselessly and we may need the injury kit more after the battle with Uldred. It's a scratch, Alistair. I promise I'll be fine." Sanile told him.

The brunette pulled the blonde to the side rather quickly so that they wouldn't be seen. He unfastened the Dalish armor to discover a long, jagged wound that ran from the collar of the armor to a little above the seam that rested at the middle of her ribs. "That's more than a scratch, Sanile. If you don't have that taken care of now, it could get infected. I didn't realize that things that happened to you in the Fade could transfer to your real body."

"Apparently they can." Sanile said as she felt her cheeks turn red. "Now, if you don't mind, could you redress me so that we may continue on our way?"

Alistair's face flushed to match hers as he refastened the armor, careful of the wound. "I'm sorry, Sanile. I wanted to make a point. You're not fine and even though you may not be bleeding, you're risking infection. If you're not going to heal it right now, then I want you to take care of it as soon as we're out of here."

"I appreciate your concern, Alistair. Once we get done here, I'll take care of it." The elf nodded. "Thank you."

The templar nodded as he led them back onto their chosen path just as Wynne and Elissa were catching up. A rather nasty and calculating grin came over the dark-haired Grey Warden's face as she moved to walk between her fellow Grey Warden's. "Now what are you two doing snogging in the corner at a time like this? We've got important business to take care of."

"I-I think you've misunderstood the situation." Sanile said quickly. "It wasn't like that."

"Then there's another explanation as to why your faces are red?" Elissa asked, still grinning.

Alistair was in the middle of trying to explain the situation while Wynne was giggling when Sanile caught sight of a force field further back in the chamber by a staircase. There were several bodies of templars within it and what looked to be one surviving. The elf held her arm out to her companions to cease their chatter. When they'd fallen silent, Sanile approached the force field carefully. Alistair was quick to grab her wrist and stop her.

"We don't know if he's being controlled by the maleficar or not, so please be careful talking to him. Even if he's not being controlled, he may not believe a word you say to him. I don't know if the force field will hold, because it could be a trap." The templar reminded her.

"I'll keep that in mind, Alistair." Sanile smiled, patting his cheek playfully with her hand. "Thank you for your helpful advice."

As the group approached the force field, the trapped templar bent over and clutched his head, screwing his eyes closed as if he were in some horrible nightmare. He was muttering some sort of mantra to himself. "It's not real. None of its real. Wake up. Wake up!"

"The poor child." Wynne murmured. "The maleficar must have broken them one by one. He's the only one that's survived."

"There's only one way we're going to find out." Elissa commented. "We can't go any further if we stop here. I suggest we ignore him or we hurry and help him as soon as possible. We're wasting time."

The room was completely silent except for the constant, desperate mutterings of the templar within the force field. The Harrowing Chamber lay up a stairway on the south edge of the tower. Since all had grown quiet on the floors below, the noise within the chamber became clearer. Inhuman growls and groans echoed down the short staircase to flow into their ears. This was the heart of the happenings in the Circle Tower. This could all be the climax to the whole ordeal. With the time they'd spent in the Fade, the companions had been in the Tower for another whole day almost. The sun was hanging low in the sky, casting shadows across the stone floor. The increasing twilight gave the tower a supernatural appearance as the group stood before the trapped templar.

"Wake up! Wake up, Cullen! None of this is real!" the templar, Cullen, repeated louder. "It's those bloody mages!"

"We're real, ser." Sanile said gently. "We've come to free the tower."

Cullen was silent for a moment or two, shaking his head with his hands clasped over his ears. "If you were an illusion, you'd have disappeared by now. I've been able to make them go away before."

"We're real, templar. We've spoken to Ser Greagoir and we need to know what's going on. What happened?" Elissa pressed.

"Everything was going on as normal. That's how I remember it. There was some sort of disturbance when Ser Greagoir sent us in. When we came in, the mages were fighting each other. The templars couldn't tell who was a mage of the Tower and who was a maleficar. Before long, the Tower was overrun with abominations and demons and many of us were trapped in here and Greagoir had locked the door. Whatever they've been doing up there, I can hear the strange noises from here." Cullen told them.

"Then we have to get into the Harrowing Chamber and stop Uldred." Wynne said, as she shifted her gaze to the imprisoned templar. "Too many have been harmed by his misguidance."

"How can you trust that mage!" Cullen roared. "She's evil! They all are!"

Sanile took a step or two closer to the barrier. The blonde reached out to touch the force field with the tips of her fingers only to receive a nasty shock. "We have to try and save everyone that we can. There are people alive within the Tower that have been trapped in her by Ser Greagoir." The elf said as she shook her smarting hand.

"What would you know, knife ear?" the templar spat. "Mages are not to be trusted! You're making a mistake. All those mages have been turned into abominations or maleficar. They have to be dealt with! You can't let them live!"

It was Alistair that responded first, shaking his head. "It's still too fresh in his mind. You won't be able to reason with him. Seeing his companions killed in front of him has left him with a deep distrust of mages. There's nothing we can do to change his mind."

The elf nodded once before she made the decision to climb the stairs to the Harrowing Chamber. None of them knew what would await them on the other side of the door. Perhaps there were no mages left alive. Taking a deep breath, Sanile pressed her hands to the door gently, the screams of the templar below them goading her to push.

* * *

No matter how far they went, the corpses just seemed to animate themselves to slow them down. Leliana was becoming worried that their task would not be possible to complete. Morrigan, Sten, and the two mabari had fought their way through the creatures to emerge from the dungeons. Once they'd reached the upper floor, their situation had gotten decidedly worse. Now, demons and wraiths were added to the shambling and devouring corpses. When Leliana had cut down her last opponent, she took a moment to study her surroundings.

"This place is huge. How are we ever going to find Bann Teagan in a place like this?" she asked.

"This is a castle, is it not?" Morrigan asked sarcastically. "You can't have expected it to be small."

"The witch is right." Sten rumbled. "We have much ground to cover and we may be too late already. This black magic began long before we arrived."

The redhead shook her head in determination. "We don't have a choice. If we're going to help Sanile and the others, this is something that we must do. They need Arl Eamon's help and to see him, we must clear the castle of this demon. Now we should probably move on."

"I have no problem helping our great leader and Elissa, though Alistair I wish I could desert somewhere in the Kocari Wilds. He is quite the fool." Morrigan said as she fell into step behind the minstrel.

"Why is it that you dislike him so much?" Leliana asked.

Morrigan snorted as she thought about her answer. "I, unlike our knife-eared leader, am not attracted to fools. His lack of a brain is both disgusting and tragic."

"I'm not so sure, witch." Sten said calmly. "You seem to be jealous."

"_**What!**_" the witch screeched. "There is no way I'm jealous of the elf. If she has romantic interest in the buffoon, then that t'would be her stupidity, not mine."

As if by the sound of Morrigan's voice, more corpses filled the hallways. The battle was begun with little or no effort by a swing from Sten's blade. Three of the corpses were flung backward as he advanced to the middle of the small horde. Leliana had forsaken her bow in favor of her duel weapons as she doubly sliced her opponent. They were approaching the kitchens, which meant they were getting closer to the throne room. Morrigan used an arcane blast to save the redhead from an enemy approaching from behind. The minstrel looked back in surprise to see the witch nod to her. The corpses were dispatched in a matter of moments, leaving the party to store their weapons and catch their breath.

"Thank you, Morrigan." Leliana said. "I could've been seriously injured if not for you."

"T'was nothing. T'would be bothersome to clean up your innards off the floor." The dark-haired witch snorted.

"We're getting closer to the main part of the castle, are we not?" Sten asked. "We could have more trouble ahead. If there is a demon here, it is possible that we have not crossed our toughest enemy yet."

Both women nodded as they headed down a set of stairs toward the basement. All the other doors had been locked that might have led them directly to the audience chamber. Once they'd reached the chamber below, the basement's contents were searched for anything that might be useful. When they'd completed that task, they took a moment to decide what should be done upon meeting the demon.

"I say we take the creature's head immediately." Morrigan stated. "I have no intention of wasting any more time here than is necessary."

"What more can we do until the others arrive?" Leliana asked. "They may or may not have finished their business at the Circle Tower."

The apostate sneered. "That place is a prison for mages. I cannot see any benefit from it. Those pitiful excuses for magic users who shrivel away like frightened dogs from the Chantry."

"We have no choice but to wait." The Qunari stated simply. "If we deal with things here, we may be able to meet them on their return."

"That's looking at things positively." The minstrel said lightly. "Let us focus on the problem at hand. We must find Bann Teagan and ensure his safety. Then we can decide what must be done about Arl Eamon. If his illness does not improve, we not have much hope."

"Since when have we had any great hope on this journey?" Morrigan asked. "There are three Grey Wardens left in all of Ferelden. The Wardens in Orlais cannot be reached. With the three of them, they must stop a Blight. I can see no hope in that."

Sten nodded his agreement. "Their task is quite impossible. I must admit, it is a foolish endeavor."

"But they have not given up hope!" Leliana protested. "I am sure that the Maker is watching over them and guiding them. They do not wish to surrender Ferelden to the Darkspawn. I will fight with them, no matter how hopeless the odds are."

"I see that it is no use in trying to sway you to a practical way of thinking, Leliana." The dark-haired witch said with disgust. "Let us go quickly and save the Bann of Rainesfere before irreparable damage is done."

Morrigan moved past her two traveling companions to ascend the steps to the other side of the castle. The courtyard that they entered was empty and eerily silent. The only person that they'd chanced to come across that hadn't been turned into a corpse was the blacksmith's daughter, Valena. They'd found her in one of the empty chambers hiding. She'd been the only one who'd escaped. As the stone of the pathway clicked under their boots, a stale air seemed to fill the courtyard as the three continued toward the main stairs. In a rattling of bleached bones, the small courtyard was filled with corpses. The sheer intensity of the sinister aura made their skin prickle and crawl as they drew their weapons.

Sten had strayed a bit from his companions as he battled the corpses that had gathered. The sound of shouting reached his ears as he was decapitating one of his opponents. Turning to find the source of the noise, he saw Ser Perth and the other knights of Redcliffe desperately trying to get through the gates. With a massive swing of his Greatsword, Sten took three corpses off their feet and moved for the gate lever in one move. The gate slowly rose and allowed the knights to rush in with cries of anger and bloodlust. They charged into battle readily. Sten regrouped with his friends as they watched as the Knights of Redcliffe finished the corpses.

"They appear rather eager, do they not?" the Qunari asked.

"T'would appear so." Morrigan replied. "Quite a different attitude than the night before."

"Perhaps the Maker has shown his grace into their hearts and given them courage." Leliana suggested as she shook the blood from her weapons before sheathing them.

The witch snorted at this. "Give credit where credit is due, idiot. We gave them what little courage that they have. They will depend on our strength rather than their own."

Leliana was about to scold the dark-haired woman when Ser Perth approached them quickly. "We honestly didn't think you'd make it this far into the castle." He told them. "We waited at the gates on the chance that you would."

"Your faith in our ability is blinding." Morrigan commented tersely.

Ser Perth either did not understand the verbal blow or ignored it, for he continued on. "The Knights and I will guard the main gate. You must hurry inside and discover what has become of Arl Eamon and the others. We may be too late."

"We must not give up hope." Leliana stated. "The future of Ferelden depends on us."

Morrigan snorted as the minstrel headed toward the main stairway. Sten was content to follow silently, growling in his throat as the feeling of darkness increased. It seemed that a shroud had been hung over them as they approached the doors. Whatever the feeling was, it did not feel _right_. Leliana swallowed as she hesitated at the doors. Was Bann Teagan even still alive? Was anyone within the castle's walls alive? Could it be pointless to venture any further? Shaking her red hair, Leliana pushed those thoughts from her mind. There had to be survivors within Castle Redcliffe. New determination lit her eyes as she flung open the door.

As they entered the castle, all was quiet and eerily still. The moving light signified that a fire had been started and was burning in the hearth. It was Morrigan who moved to the front of the group as they made their way through the small alcove toward the main hall. The dark-haired witch pressed her back against the wall by the doorway as she peeked her head around the corner. Sure enough, Lady Isolde was there, along with a fair amount of soldiers and what looked to be a child. Bann Teagan was being made to do tricks. She turned back to them quickly with a grim look on her face.

"The soldiers won't be hard to eliminate. Tis whatever creature that is inside with them that concerns me. It is possible that their minds have been turned to mush. The child doesn't appear right."

"There's a child?" Leliana whispered in disbelief. "We must do something."

"We are not here to save you people's young." Sten said crossly. "We are here to assist the elf and the other Grey Wardens in meeting with the Arl and that is it. Any casualties that occur are none of our concern."

The Qunari received a dirty look from the redhead as she carefully peered past Morrigan. "We should try to save everyone that we can. That's what Sanile would want."

Without another word she slid past the witch and into the main chamber. Both Morrigan and Sten managed to growl before following Leliana. Bann Teagan was in the middle of performing acrobatics for entertainment. When the child snapped his attention to them, Morrigan knew that he was not human. Her guard was raised and she was prepared to blast him into oblivion. His gaze, however, focused on Leliana. The brightness of her hair must have attracted his attention.

"What is it?" the child asked in voice that clearly wasn't his. "I can't see it clearly, mother, what is it?"

Lady Isolde jerked her eyes to them, hopeful for a mere second's time. "She is a human woman, Connor. You have seen them in the castle before."

"What does it want here? Why has it come? You have destroyed my lovely minions." The boy, Connor, spoke.

"We have come to determine the wellbeing of those within the castle and to check the state of Arl Eamon." Leliana explained. "Why are you doing this?"

"I want power!" the creature snapped at her. "I want to control things better than my father and no one will get in my way."

Bann Teagan looked up from his place on the floor, an amused look playing across his features. "Nobody tells him what to do! Nobody!" the sandy brunette chortled loudly.

"Quiet uncle!" Connor snapped viciously. "So you've come as concerned well-wishers. You've stuck your noses in where it doesn't belong. You can't help father! Be gone!"

The boy began to pulse with a dark purple aura. The soldiers within the room, as well as Bann Teagan, advanced on them slowly. The group slid closer together as they faced all possible directions. Both Dante and Frender were growling at their soon to be opponents. In fact, the mabari wasted no time as they leapt into battle. Morrigan began casting a spell immediately. Drain life would give them a slight advantage over their enemies. The room was much too small to use her shape shifting abilities without injuring her companions and would disadvantageous to her.

Their enemies were already too close for Leliana to use her bow. She chose her knives instead as she began her defensive against the soldiers. Bann Teagan, having a bit more battle experience, was not as hesitant as his fellows. The Bann of Rainesfere launched himself at Sten. The Qunari blocked with his massive sword and pushed the smaller man away with ease. Steel met steel as Teagan attempted to make another attack on Sten. With a large swipe, the point of Sten's sword caught his armor, creating enough momentum to throw Teagan to the ground. Leliana dispatched her final opponents as she turned to help with the front.

"Do not leave the back unguarded!" Morrigan hissed. "I do not wish to be backed into a corner."

"I do not think that will be a problem, witch." Sten grunted as he had two knights upon him. "They attack from the front."

"We have almost won! A few more!" Leliana encouraged them with one of her blades blocking an opponent and the other swiping at another.

As the remainder of the knights sank to the floor, Bann Teagan rose to his feet and charged once again. Morrigan whipped around quickly and wheeled her staff into an offensive position. Releasing an arcane blast, the man from Rainesfere was downed once again. It was at that time that abomination child fled from the main chamber and made for the upper levels of the castle. Isolde crumpled as Teagan slowly regained consciousness.

"What in the world is going on?" Teagan asked as he clutched at his head. "I remember coming here and then…nothing."

"Well, you must have been oblivious to the small detail that your glorious nephew is an abomination." Morrigan ground out.

"Connor! Where is he? "

"He fled." Sten replied. "We should go after him and end his existence before any more damaged is caused."

Leliana looked horrified at this statement. "There must be a way that we can save Connor! Sanile and the others are with the mages, perhaps we can—"

"You are willing to risk more lives for one?" the witch asked sadistically. "You would sacrifice innocents?"

"There's a way to save Connor." A voice said from the door.

"You!" Isolde barked. "Jowan! You are the cause of all of this! First my husband falls ill and then my son is turned into that, that thing!"

Jowan, the maleficar that had been released from the dungeon, looked desperate. "I didn't do that to Connor! You hired me to teach him just a bit of magic to hide the fact that he was a mage. I was the cause of the Arl's illness! I was hired by Teryn Loghain to poison him in exchange for my freedom from the Circle. You must believe me!"

"I don't know what you did, but you said that there was a way to save my nephew." Teagan said.

"Yes, there is. It requires the use of blood magic, but it will cleanse Connor of the demon." Jowan explained.

Isolde's eyes seemed to light at mere idea of saving her son. "Go on. Blood magic may be forbidden, but if it will save my son, I will have it done."

"The ritual requires quite a bit lyrium or quite a bit of blood…all of it in fact; a sacrifice."

"Then use my blood." Isolde said desperately. "Let me be the sacrifice."

Teagan looked horrified. "No, Isolde. Eamon would never forgive me if I were to let you do this. He would awaken from his illness to find his people slaughtered and his wife dead. I will not allow it."

"It's my choice, Teagan!" Isolde shouted, her fists clenched tightly. "It is my son's life on the line!"

"If I could make a suggestion." Leliana spoke softly, drawing all attention to her. "The rest of our companions are now at the Tower of Magi. Perhaps we could send them an urgent message. They are speaking with the mages now to honor the Grey Warden treaty. Perhaps they could bring the mages and the lyrium with them."

"You do have a point." Teagan said. "What will we do in the mean time about Connor?"

"We will remain here to make sure that nothing happens in the mean time." The redhead said confidently.

Teagan nodded. "We will try this. Ser Perth," he called as the said knight made his way forward, "send your fastest messenger to the Circle Tower at Lake Calenhad. We must inform the Grey Wardens of our situation and ask their help."

"Yes, Bann Teagan! It will be done right away."

Ser Perth left quickly to summon his messenger as they watched him go. There was nothing more they could do. They would simply have to wait for the Sanile and the other Grey Wardens to return. It was hoped that their desperate cry would reach the Tower of Magi in time. Otherwise, the abomination would wreak havoc on Redcliffe once again.

* * *

Upon entering the doors to the Harrowing Chamber, the four were horrified by what they saw. One of Wynne's fellow mages fell to the ground hard as his body began to shift, emitting horrible screams as it did so. When he rose to his feet, he was human no longer. What stood in the mage's place was an abomination. Fury leapt to the elder mage's eyes.

"Uldred!"

"Ah, so you are the ones who have been destroying my creations." The maleficar said haughtily. "Such a pity."

"So the abominations were your minions?" Sanile asked coldly as she took a few steps forward.

Uldred studied the elf for a moment or two before replying. "Minions? Yes, I suppose such a crude word could be used to describe them. You. You have fought as a demon. I have special plans for you."

The elf froze in her spot as she felt Alistair and Elissa stop close behind. "I want no part o your plans. You are turning these mages into abominations. You are stealing their humanity."

"I am setting them free from the bonds of humanity, knife-ear!" Uldred bellowed. "I am giving them the potential that they would not have otherwise."

"Against their will!" Elissa argued.

"I was not speaking to you, brat." The mage snapped. "I was talking to your leader. I could free you from your human bonds. I could give you power beyond imagination. I have seen you fight. You fight like a demon, as I have said before. I will have you with or without your permission. Do not make this any harder on yourself."

"I refuse." Sanile whispered as she moved her fingers to the hilts of her weapons.

"Then I will show you how futile it is to fight against me."

A horrible sound erupted from the maleficar as a purple light surrounded him. Uldred's form seemed to stretch and grow as it contorted and changed. Gigantic claws replaced his hands as the rest of his body resembled a large crustacean. The creature that had once been known as the mage, Uldred, now towered over them to present a rather challenging opponent. Wynne glanced around the Harrowing Chamber quickly to discover that First Enchanter Irving was still alive and well and mostly in his right mind. A sigh of relief was issued from the mage as she raised her staff to protect her companions. Elissa was already busy with using the Litany of Adrala on the remaining mages as Uldred attempted to use his magic to turn them.

Sanile busied herself with the abominations while Alistair moved against Uldred himself. The templar was finding his work cut out for him as he tried to avoid the massive claws that swung at him and the spells that were flung his way. The elf quickly moved in to assist him once the abominations had been slain. Elissa helped her friends when she could and was not using the Litany to counteract Uldred's magic. Wynne fired her arcane blast repeatedly until she witnessed a scene that caused her heart to leap to her throat.

Alistair was in mid swing of his sword when a large claw swept at him from the left at full force. The sheer power of the blow sent him careening through the air and into the stone wall of the Harrowing Chamber. A sickening crack echoed throughout the room as the brunette emitted a cry of pain. As he made contact with the floor, his right arm was splayed at an odd angle.

"Alistair!" Sanile cried out as she rammed her blade into the offending appendage.

Wynne was rushing to him instantly, signaling Sanile and Elissa to continue the task at hand. She lifted Alistair's right arm, earning her a pained and angry growl. "My dear boy, you're lucky that you only broke your arm and suffered a slight concussion. You could've been dead."

Alistair laughed bitterly. "I can't help them. There's no way that I would die and leave those two alone before the Darkspawn have been dealt with. How fast can you heal me?"

The older mage shook her head. "Not fast enough. I can heal your arm for the most part, Alistair. It will still need a few days prior before you can use it properly again."

He cursed as Wynne set to work. The templar watched the battle with worried interest. Sanile was giving the crab Uldred every bit of hell that she could. Alistair could see even at that distance that the elf was tired and in pain. The wound from the Fade and the new ones that she had acquired were slowing her down. Elissa was helping where she could, which was more now that Uldred had taken more damage. His attempts to create new abominations had been stemmed somewhat and she'd gotten to join in the fray.

Sanile was focusing on the backs of the creature's legs. Her smaller stature prevented her from reaching much higher than above the thing's knee. Her blows, however, were causing damage to Uldred and that's what she had wanted. She wanted him to receive the same hurt for injuring her friend. Her own wounds seemed insignificant compared with the retribution she seemed to be dealing out. A rumbling sound which sounded like laughter filled the room as the elf was snatched up by one of the claws. Puncture wounds would be left in her abdominal cavity. The blonde set to work trying to free herself, only to make her wounds worse.

"I will repeat my off one last time, elf." Uldred hissed as his beady black eyes focused in on her. "Join me to fight as a demon. You have the power within you. I have seen it when you fight and even as you continue to struggle against me now. You could rule the Darkspawn."

"I…don't…think…so!" Sanile ground out as she finally broke through the crustacean-like shell of the claw to stab it and drop to the ground fairly easily.

With one last stab, Elissa rammed the creature through its abdominal cavity and caused it emit an ear-piercing death cry. Sanile was racing toward Wynne before Uldred's body even hit the ground.

"Wynne, how is—"she panted.

"Alistair will be right as rain in no time and he will be back to his old self in two or three days." The woman smiled up at her as she continued to heal the templar.

"I'm not out of the game just yet." The brunette chuckled.

"Thank the Creator." Sanile murmured. "You gave me quite the scare, Alistair. I…I thought…"

"I'm not going to die that easily." He assured her. "That would give Morrigan too much satisfaction."

"You are right about that." Elissa commented with a grin on her face. "Besides, what would we do without our jester about?"

"I wouldn't be missed that much." Alistair joked.

"I know of someone who would miss you terribly." The dark-haired Grey Warden teased.

Sanile sent her dark scowl as she felt her cheeks light. She was ignoring her own wounds as she moved to check on First Enchanter Irving. The old man was already attempting to rise to his feet when she helped to pull him up.

"Thank you, young lady. We would not have survived had it not been for you and your companions. I offer you my deepest gratitude."

"They came seeking the aid of the Circle, Irving." Wynne clarified. "They are Grey Wardens."

Irving stroked his grey beard in thought for a moment or two. "I see. So you have come to have us honor the Grey Warden treaty. Let us depart from this horrid place and we will talk more." He said as Sanile moved to help him. "I will need help down the stairs. Of all the places to put the Circle of Magi, it had to be in a tower."

The other surviving mages followed closely behind the First Enchanter as they began their descent from the tower. The structure was still in a horrible way, but anything that was supernatural within its walls was beginning to rot away. To Irving, this was a very promising sign. The old man let out a sigh of relief as he slumped a little more on Sanile, who was close to losing her legs as it was due to her wounds and her very small stature. Elissa shot in to help at the amused snicker of Alistair.

"I am glad to see this throughout the tower." Irving said. "It means that even though our numbers are greatly diminished, the Circle of Magi can still be saved."

"We seek your aid, First Enchanter." Sanile said as she let Elissa take him from her. "The Darkspawn are multiplying and we believe that this is truly a Blight. We cannot defeat the Archdemon alone."

"You shall have it, my dear. You have saved our Circle from destruction. Now it is our turn to aid you in the survival of our world. Once we depart this Circle Tower, we will follow with you."

"Thank you, Irving." Elissa said. "You're aid will be needed. Our next destination will be Redcliffe to speak with Arl Eamon. It's imperative that we get this misunderstanding cleared up that the Grey Wardens have killed King Cailen."

"What!" Wynne exclaimed. "You've been blamed for **what**?"

Irving chuckled as Alistair went on to explain. "Yes, well, you see…even though it is entirely Teryn Loghain's fault for pulling his army away from the battlefield, he insisted that it was the Grey Warden's fault for killing the king. That would essentially put us on the same side as the Darkspawn and that would not happen. So our Ferelden branch of the order has been reduced to the three of us that you see now."

"Things are not going well for you." Irving observed. "That is why you wish to uphold the treaties. That I can understand. The Circle of Magi would be happy to oblige."

As they descended the steps of the Harrowing Chamber, the magical force field that had been placed around Ser Cullen had disappeared. He stood gazing up hatefully at them as he awaited their arrival. When he set eyes on the mages, however, he took a few steps back.

"How could you? It was mages that started this." Cullen accused. "How do you know that they're not under the control of the maleficar? How do I know that they're not controlling you?"

Sanile would listen to no more as she strode to the templar quickly, bringing her hand solidly against his cheek. "If I have been under the control of a blood mage, I would've killed you rather than have slapped some sense into you, Ser Cullen. It's over. The Circle is free."

"Wow." Alistair murmured.

"You're the one who likes her." Elissa shrugged. "She's a born leader despite what she says."

The elf turned on her heel promptly, the others following behind her. "If you'd like to get out of this place, you're more than welcome to come with us. If not, you can wait for Ser Greagoir to arrive."

Cullen sneered at her as he made to follow reluctantly. "Since when did a knife-ear start ordering people around? Last I heard, your people were wild animals; no better than beasts. I can see that the rumors are true."

Sanile snorted but said nothing as she continued to chat with Wynne and Irving, Elissa occasionally putting in some feedback now and then. It was Alistair that dropped back to Cullen with a scowl on his face. His fellow templar refused to look him in the face as they started to descend the tower. It would be a long trip down if Cullen was going to make it difficult.

"Look, Cullen, I know that you've been through a lot. You're distrustful of mages. I can understand that. What I don't understand is why you have to be cruel to everyone else." The brunette pondered.

"You mean her? That knife-eared bitch that slapped me?" Cullen asked with a snort. "It's true. The Dalish are wild animals and she just proved it to me. She didn't heed the warning of Ser Greagoir as she entered the Tower. She ignored me when I told her that it would be best to slay all of the remaining mages. If she won't listen to what others tell her, how will she ever defeat the Darkspawn?"

Alistair didn't look happy with Cullen. "I know that we were in the same starting group, Cullen, but you're stepping out of line. Sanile has made excellent decisions for us so far despite the fact that we wonder whether or not she's insane when she makes them. We have other members of our group elsewhere that follow her out of respect for her authority. Leliana follows her because she absolutely adores her."

"You must have feeling for the wench. Otherwise you wouldn't be trying so hard to change everyone's mind about her. Are you that concerned with you image, Alistair? It's pathetic really."

The brunette gave up on trying to reason with Cullen and continued on in silence. Elissa traded him placed so that he may talk with the rest of the group. It didn't take them long to reach the bottom of the Circle Tower and the main doors that remained locked. It was First Enchanter Irving that made his way to the doors and soundly beat on them with his hand.

"Greagoir!" the old mage croaked. "Open these doors, man! The Tower has been cleared."

There were several moments of relieved and excited shouting before the voice of Greagoir reached them through the steel doors. "Irving, is that you?"

"Who else would it be, you old fool?"

"Open the doors!" Ser Greagoir shouted. "Let them out, for the Maker's sake! They survived!"

"I told you." Sanile said haughtily as she passed Greagoir.

Ser Greagoir looked at the small band in disbelief. Despite all of his beliefs that the Grey Wardens had perished, they returned with the surviving mages and even one of his templars. The feat was truly miraculous. The look of surprise quickly melted a one of relief and Greagoir released a sigh. Irving came to a halt in front of the templar commander with a cocky look on his face.

"There were survivors." Greagoir murmured. "I can't believe it."

"We are stronger in heart and will than you realized, Greagoir." Irving commented. "We have survived so that we may help the Grey Wardens."

Petra and Kinnon were herding the young mage apprentices to a vacant corner so that the First Enchanter, the templar commander, and the Grey Wardens could speak. Wynne assisted them as she checked them all over for any scratch or wound that wasn't present when she left. Irving cleared his throat and stretched a bit as he fought off the stiffness from the cold stone floor of the Harrowing Chamber. Greagoir was obviously waiting for an answer as to what happened.

"Apparently, there was some sort of uprising." Elissa explained. "One of the mages led his followers against the First Enchanter and the other mages."

"Yes, apparently, they wished to be free of the Circle and the Chantry." Alistair confirmed.

Sanile remained silent as Irving nodded in confirmation. "Uldred wished to tap into the power of the Fade and become more powerful. He created the abominations and taught his followers blood magic. He thought maleficar would be easier to gain control of the tower."

"I am glad to see that everything has been returned to normal. I'm sending a group of templars into the tower to do a damage assessment. I'm glad that you're safe, Irving." Greagoir stated.

"We'll be back at one another's throats in no time." Irving said confidently.

"By the way, Grey Wardens, a message has arrived for you from Redcliffe." Greagoir told them as he held out a rolled piece of parchment in his hand. "I hope that everything goes well."

Without another word, Sanile took the scroll as Ser Greagoir walked away. Unrolling the parchment, the elf allowed her eyes to float over the paper. Her mouth seemed to dry instantly as she felt Elissa and Alistair joined her to read as well. The others had encountered trouble. They were in need of the Circle.

"We have to return to Redcliffe at once!" Alistair exclaimed. "I can't believe that all of this has happened! We have to help Connor."

"There's no mistaking that." Sanile said. "We must return to Redcliffe as soon as possible. Perhaps if we can help Connor, we can help the Arl as well. It's possible that their conditions are intertwined."

"You have a point, princess." Elissa said. "Let's get out of here while we still can. I'm sure that Ser Carroll will be happy to see us once again. We've been gone for two days. That's too long, in my opinion."

"Is there a way that you could help us with a demon possessing a child, First Enchanter?" Sanile asked.

"The procedure will require lyrium and several mages. Yes, we can assist you, Ser Sanile. Wynne, I require your presence."

"Yes, Irving?" Wynne asked as she made her way over. "You look like you're preparing something."

"Yes, Wynne. We're preparing to leave. There is a possessed child in Redcliffe that has caused a great deal of chaos. We are headed there to help him. It will require a trip into the Fade. I was going to ask you to stay behind and look after the tower, but I can see that that request will not set well with you."

"It will not." Wynne stated. "I have known these children since Ostagar. I wish to travel with them and help them with their quest."

"Children!" Alistair exclaimed. "Well, I suppose, compared to you, we are children."

Wynne smirked in a rueful manner. "Are you saying that I'm old, Alistair?"

"You _could_ be my grandmother." He shrugged.

Irving chuckled. "I can see that you are ready for the journey, Wynne. We will leave as soon as you are ready."

"Perhaps we should trade with the Quartermaster before we leave." Elissa suggested. "We're running low on _healing_ supplies." She said, casting Sanile a meaningful look.

The elf glared at Elissa before looking herself over. "I'm covered in bruises and minor wounds. It's nothing that a good night's sleep and some ointment and bandages can't fix."

"We'll travel for a while and then we'll set up camp for the night. We can look at the wounds then." Wynne suggested as she tried to keep the peace.

Alistair looked skeptical with his arm in a sling. "I don't know. Sanile got knocked about quite badly in that battle with Uldred."

"I'm fine for now." The blonde elf insisted. "We need to get moving."

"Agreed." Elissa said. "Let's be on our way. The Leliana and the others need our help."

"Uh, that means we'll have to reunite with Morrigan." Alistair groaned. "I could've done without that for a bit longer."

"I take it that you don't care for this Morrigan character." Wynne chuckled.

"You have no idea." The brunette grimaced. "That woman is vile. She gives me constant reminder of how stupid I am."

The white-haired mage giggled a bit. "I can't imagine why she'd do a thing like that. I was thinking that perhaps we should send a reply message to Redcliffe."

A young man stood by the door as he shuffled anxiously. "I beg your pardons, Grey Wardens. I am the messenger from Redcliffe. I'm the fastest they've got and I'll be much obliged to carry a message back to them."

Sanile made her way over stiffly, which did not go unnoticed by Elissa, and nodded to him. "Tell Bann Teagan and the others that we'll be arriving in Redcliffe in at least two day's time. The mages from the Circle Tower will be accompanying us so that they may perform the ritual that will save Connor."

"Yes, Ser Warden! I'll make all haste!"

With that, the messenger was gone. Sanile turned to the others and sighed heavily. "I know I said that we would be swift in our return, but I suggest we make camp once we leave. I, for one, could use a good night's sleep."

"I'll agree to that." Alistair nodded. "After that false sleep with the Sloth demon, I feel even more tired."

"We will make camp at once then." Wynne said. "We must attend to all of the wounds that we've acquired and have a good meal. Then we will be able to sleep much easier."

"It's agreed then." Elissa confirmed. "We'll travel a few miles and make camp. The Darkspawn will be quiet for the night, I hope."

Once First Enchanter Irving had gathered his mages to him, they headed toward the large main doors. Ser Carroll looked disgusted at the large amount of people that he'd have to shuttle across the lake. It didn't take him long, however. Once they'd left the small village of Lake Calenhad, the Wardens and their party made camp. The mages were spread out so that they could create a sort of protective barrier around them from the Darkspawn. Wynne went straight into continuing to search Alistair for further injuries. Elissa started a fire and set to cooking some dried vegetables that she'd had in her back. Sanile had made a quick hunting trip to bring back several rabbits for a stew. Bodhan Fedic, who had waited for them in Calenhad, conveniently provided them with injury kits and upgraded armor that he'd come across on his recent journey.

"This Drake Scale armor should do much better than the leather armor, wouldn't you agree princess?" Elissa asked as she swung her arm.

"Yes, though it seems a bit stifling." Sanile said as she wriggled uncomfortably in her new armor.

"You're used to much lighter armor, my dear elf." The dark-haired noble laughed. "This actually covers you."

"I've worn the same sort of armor for ten years. It will take some getting used to." The said elf nodded. "The Dalish believe that the heavier the armor, the more our movements are inhibited."

"That does make sense." Wynne said as she finished examining Alistair and had come for Elissa. "My dear, if you will step into my tent, I'm sure you wouldn't have me examine you out in the open in your short clothes."

"You're correct in that." Elissa snorted. "Let's go.

"I have a feeling that this will be a long night." Alistair commented as he plopped down next to Sanile by the fire.

* * *

The sun shone brightly on the third morning of their journey to Redcliffe. The weather had held quite nicely despite the clouds which meant that rain could be pending. Their trek had been relentless as they had left Calenhad two days ago. Sanile was feeling the pain of the wound that was still present on her back, but since having changed armor and successfully masking her pain, Alistair and Elissa had forgotten about it. It was not on the third day that her movements seemed to be slowed.

As the day wore on, so did the heat. The various armors became rather balmy and uncomfortable as the Grey Wardens and their party continued on their way. Sanile had since fought to keep her strength up as they continued on their way. Alistair had silently volunteered to stay by the elf's side, for throughout the day he'd begun to worry about his companion. She didn't usually lag behind. When she had to finally stop a moment and lean against a tree by the roadside, the brunette began to worry.

"Sanile, are you alright?" he asked. "You don't seem to be your normal energetic self."

The elf drew in a deep, pained breath as she tried to smile at him. "I'm fine, Alistair. I'm still just a bit tired. That's all."

Alistair raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Tired? You're paler than Wynne's hair and you're breath is labored. Have you been hurt?"

A guilty look made its way onto Sanile's face. "The wound I acquired in the Fade. I never had it properly taken care of. Now…"

The blonde took in a sharp breath quickly as she fell forward. Alistair barely managed to catch the unconscious elf with his one healthy arm. Her skin was burning to the touch as the templar blinked in stunned surprise. Alistair knelt down quickly as he tried to cradle her to him.

"Sanile!"

* * *

"The others are on their way!" Leliana chirped happily as she bounced toward her friends.

"Wonderful. We will be back in the company of the buffoon." Morrigan said as she rolled her eyes. "Now that I could do without."

"I will agree." Sten said.

"Did you hear that boys?" Leliana asked the two mabari, oblivious to the ill talk of Alistair that was going on in front of her. "Your masters will be back soon!"

The mabari barked happily and spun in circles as they pranced around. The redhead laughed as she pet them before turning to the others. Similar grim expressions were placed on the faces of Morrigan and Sten. The sooner the Grey Wardens returned the sooner that this place could be left behind them and their journey could continue. Redcliffe had taken them longer than they'd liked. The trials had been taxing it was time for something else. Morrigan would've preferred Darkspawn to this. Sten had felt uneasy about dealing with dark magic. His belief stated clearly that magic should only be used for healing.

The castle had been quiet for the past day and a half. The possessed Connor had remained in the upper levels. As long as they didn't venture close to the second floor stairs, none of the dark magical creatures would appear. Leliana peered into the large dining room was also the route to the second story. Everything was still and she would've liked to explore the study at the other end of the dining room. Perhaps there was some history of Redcliffe or even Orzammar. Some more current maps would've been helpful as well. The redhead sighed in mild boredom. Suddenly the front door slammed open and Ser Perth scurried toward them as quickly as his would carry him.

"Bann Teagan! Lady Leliana!" he exclaimed. "The Grey Wardens have returned. They're making their way through pass as we speak. One of them is injured or ill."

"Which one? Is it Alistair?" Morrigan asked. "I hope so."

"Who is it, Ser Perth?" Leliana asked.

"I do believe that by what was said, it was the elf whose name escapes me." The knight relayed to them.

Leliana's features contorted in shock. "Sanile? How could she have been injured?"

"Apparently there was quite an uprising of maleficar at the Circle Tower and demons and abominations were involved. They're carrying my lady on a stretcher. She seems to be quite ill."

"Will they be here soon?" Sten asked.

"Within the hour." Ser Perth stated. "They've brought the Circle mages with them to perform the ritual and I imagine they'll be treating Ser Sanile while the ritual is going on."

"Oh I hope Sanile's alright." The redhead stated as she paced back and forth. "I hope her condition is not too serious."

"She's running a high fever and that's all I was told." The knight relayed. Shouts were heard from outside the door. "Apparently they are moving faster than I anticipated. It would seem that the Grey Wardens have arrived, Sers and madams."

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

**Well, I hope you enjoyed chapter seven! Zevran will be making his way into chapter eight as well as Shale. I'm going to have the Wardens have come across the merchant with the control rod on their journey back to Redcliffe and I'll go into that in chapter 8. I don't think I'm going to go into too much detail with Honneleith. There's entirely too much to do in this next chapter, such as have the trap sprung by Zevran, continue on the Denerim in search for Brother Genetivi, and the start of Haven and the search for the Urn of Sacred Ashes. I wouldn't even include Honneleith, but I adore Shale, so she will be present. Anyhow, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. **

**Aeden **


	8. Reunion at Redcliffe

**Author's Note****: Finally another chapter out! I'm sorry once again that it's been so long. I'm replaying Dragon Age: Origins on my laptop so that I can stay on track with the story. If you haven't noticed, I'm saving time with the side quests, by splitting the groups up. If not, the story would go on forever. I'm sure most of you wouldn't like that. I do have to say that I've been listening to Within Temptation during the chapter a lot and I will say that the song **_**Hand of Sorrow**_** reminds me of Alistair. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer****: I don't own anything but Sanile and Elissa. Dragon Age: Origins, its plot, and its characters (Alistair too, unfortunately) belong to Bioware. **

* * *

Chapter 8

Castle Redcliffe was an amazing sight to someone who'd never seen it before. Alistair grew more excited the closer and closer they came. Elissa had silently vowed to beat the templar within an inch of his life once he'd fully healed. She was one of the ones carrying Sanile's stretcher while Alistair was carrying on about Redcliffe, Arl Eamon, his childhood, and anything else he could babble on about. While the elf was of smaller stature than a human, the dead weight that came from unconsciousness was the same.

"Alistair, would you please kindly shut up!" Elissa snapped. "Sanile's getting heavy and I don't know how badly her condition has worsened."

The elf's breathing had changed during their trip to Redcliffe, becoming labored as the infection set in further. Wynne had tried her best to do some healing on their leader, but the infection had already set in too deep. Finally, they managed to reach the courtyard as Bann Teagan Guerin rushed to meet them as well as their other companions.

"I'm glad that you could've made it, Wardens. We've had quite a time of it here, though you look as if you've been through much yourselves." Teagan said.

"Oh no, it was a pleasant stroll to the Circle Tower and back, as you can see." Elissa said dryly as she nodded toward the stretcher.

"Has Sanile's condition improved at all?" Leliana asked, peering down at the blonde.

Wynne shook her head. "Sanile suffers from infection of a wound she procured while we were trapped within the Fade. When we discovered the infection, it had already set in."

Morrigan snorted. "Stubborn fool. That blasted knife-eared brat will get herself killed like that."

The white-haired mage met the gaze of the apostate for several seconds before breaking it in distain. "I can only heal her so much before I have to leave it up to her. I'm surprised that Sanile was able to remain upright as long as she did. We must get her inside so that I may try one last time."

Sten made no noise as he approached and pulled the sickly elf into his arms like a small child. The difference in statures was amazing between the two. The Qunari made the elf seem twice as small as she truly was. He wordlessly turned and headed back into the castle as the others followed him. Wynne jogged a bit to keep up with Sten so that she could give him directions.

"Is there a room with a fire in it? Perhaps off to the side?"

The Qunari said nothing as he led them to the kitchen in the main dining room. Placing Sanile next to the hearth, Sten took several steps back. "What are we to do about the abomination?"

"You mean the child?" Wynne asked. "We've brought First Enchanter Irving and the other members of the Circle to perform the ritual. We must decide who will go into the Fade."

"Is it possible for someone who is not a mage to perform this task?" Alistair asked as he moved closer to the unconscious elf.

Wynne shook her head. "Only a mage, someone who is familiar with magic, can do this. We do, however, have options."

Leliana nodded. "There is also Jowan. He may be able to redeem himself by going into the Fade."

"Jowan is here?" the wizened mage queried. "He was a wonderful apprentice who got mixed up in the wrong things. He is an option."

"There is also you and Morrigan." Elissa pointed out. "If he has poisoned the Arl, as Leliana was explaining, I don't know if we can trust him."

"I agree with the noble." Morrigan stated. "He has helped us here, but I would not trust him as far as I can throw him. T'would be unwise to send him on suck a task."

"I could go, but that would mean putting off Sanile's healing. Her condition would have the possibility of worsening. I will leave the decision up to you." Wynne told them, smiling gently.

"No." Alistair said quickly. "Sanile needs to be healed. We're going to need her up to strength for whatever task follows this one. We've finally reunited. We need to be up to full strength."

"The idiot speaks the truth…for once." Morrigan snorted, somewhat impressed.

"Then I'll make the decision." Elissa stated. "Morrigan, you will go into the Fade while Wynne stays here and heals our fearless leader. You should probably make any preparations that you must and then go see First Enchanter Irving."

"How did I know that this would fall to me?" the dark-haired witch said as she rolled her eyes. "I will do as you say however. I think this is the best decision."

As Morrigan turned to leave, Alistair placed a hand on Elissa's shoulder. "Born Teryn of Highever if I ever saw one."

"Thank you, Alistair. I'm going to speak with Bann Teagan and discover what we've missed in our absence. You should stay with the princess. She'd want you here, I think."

The brunette nodded. "Update me when you've learned everything that you can. I'll be right here."

As their companions left, Alistair knelt down next to the hearth and took Sanile's hand. Worry overtook his face as he looked up at Wynne. He felt a small squeeze and averted his eyes back to the elf. Her blue eyes were open slightly as she looked at him, seeming not to see him at all. A small smile curled his lips as he squeezed back.

"You're awake."

"Barely. I'm very tired." Sanile murmured. "We sound like Grey Wardens."

Wynne chuckled a bit. "You've all grown so much since I first met you. I can safely say that I'm proud of you. Now that I've praised you, I'm going to harp. Don't you ever keep your wounds a secret from me again. You now see what can happen when you do."

The elf merely nodded as her eyes slid closed again. Alistair brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes as her breathing deepened in sleep. Wynne was moving about the kitchen gathering a bowl to fill with water and rags. It would be a long day in this kitchen.

* * *

With a proud stride and quick steps, Morrigan stopped when she reached the edge of the main audience chamber. The Circle mages were at the front conversing with Lady Isolde. A trip to the Fade was not something that she was looking forward to, but it had to be done in order to continue their quest. Elissa had mentioned that they'd come across a merchant in the foothills that had told them that Orzammar had been closed off to the people of the outside world. Things were getting worse and if they were to put an end to the Darkspawn, this obstacle would have to be overcome.

When the witch decided that she was prepared, she made her way over to the First Enchanter. Her nose was turned up slightly as the mages of the Circle turned their attention to her. What did they know of her sort of magic anyway? How could they judge her? They had chosen her to perform this task, however, and she would see it through no matter how much she disliked the mages.

"Are you the mage chosen to enter the Fade?" Irving asked.

"I prefer witch, though you'd know me as an apostate." Morrigan stated in a smooth and haughty manner.

"Very well." The First Enchanter nodded. "I have prepared everything for your journey into the Fade. It could be a very powerful demon that you are up against, my dear. One of greed and desire. The demon could quite possibly take on the guise of the boy, Connor, so take care. Be ever vigilant. It will most likely try to talk to you or make a deal with you."

"I can handle myself just fine, thank you." Morrigan said. "You mages don't give me enough credit and seem to have no faith in me whatsoever."

If Irving took offense to the witch's rudeness, he did not show it. "We have prepared the ritual and will begin now. Have a seat in the center of the circle."

Morrigan strode quickly to the center of the other mages and had a seat on the floor, folding her legs. Irving and the other mages began to chant as the witch closed her eyes. There was a distinct pressure in her head and a pulling sensation within her chest. In a moment or two, she opened her eyes after the voices had faded to find herself in a world of sepia tones. Morrigan had crossed over into the Fade.

* * *

The rolling hills transformed into mountains in the far distance. One could vaguely make out the snow-capped peaks of the Frostback Mountains. The deciduous trees were green and in full bloom as it was coming on the tail end of spring. Summer would be upon them in no time and traveling in armor would make for irritability and many arguments along the road. Hopefully, they'd be able to arrive in Orzammar before winter to present the Grey Warden treaty. Traveling in the mountains in the snow would be difficult and dangerous.

Alistair had parted himself from Sanile and Wynne long enough to make his way outside for some fresh air. The stone of the lower battlements was hot in the midday sun as he rested his hand on the smooth surface. Now that they had returned to Redcliffe, there was much on his mind. On their journey from Lake Calenhad, they'd come across a travelling merchant who had given them a control rod. He did not have the golem in his possession, but had told them where to procure it along with the command phrase. Both Sanile and Elissa had agreed that it would be best to find the golem because, if nothing else, it could be used as a pack horse. The said golem was located in Honneleith, a village to the southwest of Redcliffe.

The other matter that concerned him actually made him sick to his stomach to think about telling Sanile. How exactly did one go about telling their companions that they were the bastard son of King Maric? Alistair hid his face in his hand as the sound to approaching feet reached him. Bann Teagan came to a stop beside him, joining him at the stone wall. The sandy-haired man turned to focus on the templar.

"Greetings, Alistair. It's been a long time since I've seen you. You were still just a lad."

The brunette turned his attention to him as he nodded. "It has been a while. The last time I saw you, Bann Teagan, was before I was sent to the Chantry for my templar training and I do believe that I was covered in mud."

"You seem to have done well for yourself. You became a Grey Warden and made yourself many companions. There seems be something weighing heavily on your mind, however." Teagan said.

"There is." Alistair said. "I forgot to mention to my friends that after Anora, I'm the next eligible person to take the throne. I don't want special treatment from them, especially not from our great leader."

"They are your friends, Alistair. I believe that your fears are in vain, but you will know once you tell them. You could choose to keep it a secret, but Eamon will tell them when he recovers." The Bann of Rainesfere said. "I'm sure that he will most likely force a landsmeet before this is done."

"You have no doubt about his recovery." The templar observed.

"He is my brother. I can think nothing less." Teagan told him. "We must believe that Eamon will recover so we might save Ferelden before it's too late."

"I don't want to become king, Bann Teagan. I want to remain a Grey Warden and protect Ferelden from the Darkspawn. I don't want to be the one who commands Sanile. I'd much rather take orders from her."

Teagan chuckled. "It sounds as though the elf is dearer to you than you let on."

"She is." Alistair said plainly. "Perhaps I'll tell her one day. Right now, I'm more concerned for her recovery. I'll have to be sure that Sanile is fully recovered before we depart on the next course of our journey, wherever that may be."

"A wise decision coming from one who does not wish to lead. I think that if you were chosen to lead, you would do a fine job, my boy."

Alistair shook his head. "I don't wish to lead, thank you. I rather like following instead. That way, the entire heavy decision making isn't left to me. I do so hate the consequences of bad decisions."

"That is a risk that all leaders must take. I'm sure that you understand that with your own leader." Teagan told him.

"I do." The brunette sighed as he stared out at the land beyond the gates. "There have been decisions that Sanile has made that I wouldn't have made myself. Such as having Leliana and Sten join us. I wouldn't have agreed to that."

"I know that you despise your heritage, Alistair, but these people are your friends." Bann Teagan said as he turned to leave. "If you respect that friendship, tell them of your father and brother. Tell them that you are likely to be placed in the running for the throne."

Alistair didn't respond to the Bann's words as he continued to stare out at the foothills. There would come a time when he'd most likely have to contest his royal lineage. He was content to be a Grey Warden and a templar. King was one title too many. The brunette sighed as he rubbed his face through his hand. Sanile was not conscious and wouldn't be for some time at least. He decided that he'd tell her first. She was his leader and deserved to know his little secret. The brunette felt like smacking his forehead sometimes. Turning, he made his way back into the castle.

It wasn't a long walk to the kitchen as he pushed open the door. Wynne was mopping the elf's forehead with a rag. Lady Isolde had managed to pull a nightgown from somewhere without angering the abomination that was her son on the second story. She explained that it might keep her a little cooler than the armor and it would be better than having the elf exposed in her small clothes. Leliana was sitting with Wynne while Sten was on his way out of the kitchen. The templar followed the Qunari with his eyes as he met with Elissa so that she and Dante could watch the mages' progress. A shiver passed over his body. There was something that still made his uncomfortable around the Qunari. Frender was laying on the floor beside the hearth that Sanile was laying on. His head was laying on his paws as he whined to Alistair. His adopted master wasn't moving. Alistair scratched the mabari behind the ear.

"I know, boy. Sanile will be awake before you know it. Don't you worry."

Frender wagged his little stub of a tail as he turned his eyes to Alistair. The mabari had not like him at first, but was slowly warming up to him. The large canine creature lifted his head a bit and licked the hand that Sanile had draped over the hearth. There was no movement. The redhead that sat with them furrowed her brow as she watched Alistair move closer to their blonde leader.

"How is her condition, Wynne?" Leliana queried.

The white-haired mage sighed and shook her head. "I've done all that I can. The rest is up to Sanile. She seems to be a fighter though."

Alistair chuckled a bit. "You mean stubborn. Sanile won't die. She'll wake up soon and be just fine." When Frender gave an approving bark to this statement, the brunette quirked an eyebrow. "You're too smart for your own good, you know."

Leliana laughed before asking her next question. "How did Sanile acquire such a wound?"

"That is quite the tale." Wynne said. "We encountered a Sloth demon. Sloth managed to cast his spell over us, which trapped us in the Fade. We were all trapped in our own illusions and would have stayed there had Sanile not come to save us. The battle with Sloth was difficult and apparently he was especially angry with our young elf for breaking his spell. He injured her in the Fade and she failed to tell us she was injured."

"I knew she was injured and had forgotten about it." Alistair said guiltily. "When Elissa made the comment about snogging in the corner, I had dragged her away to call her out about the wound."

"The Dalish are a proud people from what little I have seen." Leliana said. "You did the right thing by not doing such a thing in front of others, Alistair."

"It wasn't the right thing if she didn't take my advice and have Wynne heal her wound. I even told her to use an injury kit before we went to face Uldred. Sanile didn't listen." Alistair replied.

Wynne and Leliana continued to chatter back and forth about the Circle of Magi as Alistair turned his attention to the sickly elf as he took her hand. Frender whined sadly as he tightened his hand around hers. Sanile had to get better. She just had to. As the final three Grey Wardens in Ferelden, he and Elissa needed the elf as their fellow Grey Warden and their leader. A moan escaped the blonde as her eyelids fluttered. Feverish dreams would most likely haunt her until the fever broke.

* * *

The Fade turned out to be quite noisy. The voices of passing spirits echoed through the air as Morrigan followed the paths. One voice in particular could be heard over the others as it shouted a familiar name desperately. The dark-haired witch strode quickly to the source of the voice and stood before the Fade spirit with a bored look upon her face.

"You are Arl Eamon, correct?"

"Yes. Have you seen my son, Connor?" he asked desperately.

"That is why I am here. Do you understand where you are?" Morrigan asked, losing her patience. "You're in the Fade. You must return to your body."

"Where is my son? Where is Connor?" the arl asked.

"There is no getting through to you." The witch muttered as she turned to walk away. "I will find him."

The Arl ignored her words and continued to cry out for his son as Morrigan headed deeper into the Fade. The sheer amount of spirits coming and going was almost enough to overwhelm her…almost. Morrigan was quite used to strange sights as she was quite the skilled shape shifter. An oddity within this already strange place was a bed and several bookshelves. The child named Connor paced back and forth in an anxious manner, only stopping at the clicking of Morrigan's heels.

"What do you want?" he asked. "Leave this place. I'm searching for my father. You must have been the one that made him ill."

"You cannot fool me, demon." The dark-haired witch sneered. "Leave this child or I will force you out."

When the demon did not respond, Morrigan raised her staff and released an arcane blast. The beast lost the guise of Connor, showing her true form in all of its gruesome beauty. Once the creature had been lured into attacking, Morrigan shifted her shape into that of a giant bear. Sweeping her massive paws toward her enemy, Morrigan landed the second blow, knocking the desire demon backward. Letting out a shriek, the creature disappeared. The witch returned to her true form and looked around her as she huffed. This was not going to be a simple as she had originally thought.

* * *

Elissa stood silently with Sten as they watched the proceedings of the mages. Morrigan seemed to be in a deep trance as she sat still on the floor. The Circle mages were concentrating to their fullest to maintain the spell they held over her. Jowan, who had been allowed to remain present for the ritual, approached them slowly. He seemed cautious and his mood appeared to be dampened. Isolde and Bann Teagan were close by, watching him carefully.

"You are one of the Grey Wardens, yes?" he asked.

"One of them." Elissa replied. "You must be Jowan. I've heard of your actions here."

The dark-haired mage shook his head. "I was sent here to do a job with the promise that I'd be freed from the Circle. My employer has my phalactory."

"I do not understand why such a thing is important." Sten mused. "Do they keep such tight control over the mages?"

"The Chantry sees us as dogs." Jowan explained. "They say that magic is against the Maker's will and we must be controlled."

The noblewoman seemed not to hear this statement as she asked her next question. "Who is your employer?"

"I cannot say."

"You will say, mage, or I will beat it out of you." Elissa growled as she grabbed the collar of his robes. "Whoever it is is causing us great trouble and costing us time. Who is it?"

"Teryn Loghain!" Jowan cried. "Teryn Loghain gave me the poison to use on the Arl. He told me that as my last chance, I must do this in order to be free of my charges as a maleficar and free of the Circle. I should never have listened."

"I should've known that no good son of a whore would do something this low. I imagine that he knew Arl Eamon was the only one who would so boldly oppose him." The noblewoman snapped. "He will receive the proper retribution when the time comes."

"What do you propose to do about such an offense?" Sten asked, blinking and tilting his head in curiosity.

"There is nothing we can do at this time." Elissa informed him. "I will, however, inform Alistair of these new events and discuss what our next course of action will be."

"A wise decision coming from one who is not the leader."

"I'm overjoyed that I am not. I would not want Sanile's job for all of Ferelden." The dark-haired woman snorted. "You are welcome to remain here, Sten, and learn what you can of our magic for your people's knowledge."

Elissa quickly turned on her heal and made her way back toward the kitchen. She made her way into the study when she spotted Alistair there. The brunette had seldom left the elf's side during her illness and it was surprising to see such. Elissa strode up to him quickly, grabbing his attention quite easily with a punch to the shoulder.

"How's the princess?"

Alistair rubbed his smarting shoulder and glared at his fellow Grey Warden. "Wynne's done all that she can. Sanile will have to fight the remaining infection on her own. She's a strong woman. She'll survive. I only wish she'd have told us about her injury."

"Sanile's also stubborn. She wouldn't have said anything. We were in a hurry to reach Redcliffe. Informing us of an injury would've meant slowing down." Elissa said logically.

"You seem concerned about her."

"I am. She is our leader after all and my friend. That is not why I came to you, however."

"Oh, this isn't a corny confession is it? You've not in love with her, are you?" Alistair teased.

"No, I'm in love with you." Elissa said smartly.

"What!" Alistair exclaimed, his surprise clear.

"Fool. I came to discuss something far more important. I've found out that Arl Eamon was poisoned on orders from Loghain." Elissa informed him as she rolled her eyes.

"Why in the Maker's name would Loghain want to poison the Arl? He didn't know anything of Ostagar." Alistair queried.

"Isn't it obvious? Being rid of the Arl was the most tactical move that the teryn could've made. Arl Eamon would've most likely proven the biggest opposition between Loghain and the nobles. If Eamon had led them against him, there would've been no way that Loghain could've taken the throne." Elissa explained.

The brunette nodded in understanding. "I see your point. That bastard. What are we going to do?"

"What can we do? There's nothing at this moment that can be done while the Arl lies ill and we've got masses of Darkspawn on the move. We must first handle the Darkspawn and then we can deal with Loghain." Elissa said.

"I can't believe that Loghain would go this far. It just doesn't make any sense. From what I had always heard about him, he was always a noble and courageous man. Then the events of the battle of Ostagar and the death of King Calen changed him." Alistair mused. "I just can't believe that we have conspiracy thrown into everything else."

"It honestly doesn't surprise me." Elissa told him, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Growing up around the nobles has taught me that much."

Alistair nodded. "I'd better get back to Sanile. Hopefully her condition has changed for the better."

"If you're this worried now, I'd hate to see you during child birth." The noblewoman snickered.

"What! You can't mean that. Sanile and I are friends." The brunette protested.

"You're truly an idiot if you think that I believe you honestly feel that way, Alistair." Elissa said as she exited the study.

"Something has put that woman in a rather glib mood today. I don't know if that's such a good thing."

* * *

Having chased the desire demon throughout the Fade, Morrigan had finally cornered it within a collection of stone. The demon floated quietly as she awaited the witch to approach her. Morrigan moved slowly forward with her staff raised. The desire demon tilted her head to the side, studying the dark-haired woman as she made her way forth.

"You have seen my true form, mage. You have great power. I can see more potential in you. Why don't you make a deal with me? I can give you anything that you want."

"I don't make deals with demons, though the offer is tempting." Morrigan told it. "I've come to free the boy from your spell, nothing more."

The demon let out a shriek as it let out an attack aimed at the witch. Morrigan dove out of the way. The black-haired witch released her own attack, casting an arcane magic spell. The spell hit the demon and caused it to grow angry. Chanting in another language, it created several doppelgangers. Morrigan froze for a moment as she tried to determine the true demon. After a moment, the tip of her staff began to glow hot and her form shifted to that of a giant spider.

Charging forward, Morrigan attached herself to the desire demon, the copies disappearing. The giant spider's fangs sank deep into the demon, causing it let out a scream of pain. Multiple bites caused the creature to collapse to the ground, barely breathing. Morrigan took her own form and watched the demon fade into nothing. Her task had been completed with little or no damage to herself. It was time to return from the fade.

In a matter of moments, Morrigan was back in the audience chamber of the castle. The Circle of Magi were standing around her, looking quite tired. First Enchanter Irving helped her to her feet and let her have some space.

"Has the demon been disposed of?" Irving asked.

"With all haste." Morrigan answered. "Now I'd like to fill my belly and get some sleep."

"Connor has been saved?" Isolde questioned. "Connor!"

The arlessa ran as fast as her legs would carry her from the room toward the second floor. Morrigan rolled her eyes and made her way toward the kitchen. It was certain that some sort of edible food would be stored. When she walked into the kitchen area, she saw Sanile putting the finishing touches on her armor.

"You should be resting." The witch said matter of factly.

"There is still too much to be done. I've wasted enough time sleeping." The elf told her.

Morrigan strode up to the woman, placing the back of her hand on her forehead. "Your fever has not yet broken. You risk a relapse of your condition."

"That is a risk I'm willing to take. I need to know what's going on here. We need to speak with the Arl. He may be our only ally." Sanile told her.

"Then you may wish to speak with Alistair or one of the others. The Arl has been poisoned."

Nodding, Sanile made her way out of the kitchen to find someone who could tell her what was going on and what she had missed. A trip to Honneleith was in order to retrieve a golem. The creature could come in handy as a pack horse. Sanile looked around the dining room, seeing no one. That was when she spotted Alistair in the study. Making her way toward him, he could explain to her what was going on.

* * *

Sanile made her way silently into the study where she saw Alistair pouring over the bookshelves there. As she made to gain his attention, something caught her eye. A soft glitter caused her to look to the large oak desk that sat in the center of the room. A worn locket sat amidst the maps and books scatter all over the desk top. Normally Sanile was against taking things that did not belong to her, but in this instance, the old locket felt like it had some importance. Picking up the piece of jewelry, she placed it in a side pouch for later.

"Alistair." She called gently.

The templar turned quickly with a surprised look on his face. "Sanile! Whatever are you doing up? You should be resting!"

"I've wasted enough time. I'm still a little weak, but I'll be fine in a day or two. Now, what's gone on that I've missed?" she asked.

"It seems that Loghain has poisoned Arl Eamon. I suppose he saw the threat that the Arl could become and wished to be rid of him. His son, Connor, managed to rip open the Veil and made a deal with a desire demon. The desire demon has kept Eamon alive until now, but the Arl still does not wake. We may have come seeking his help in vain."

The blonde elf nodded as she moved further into the study. "What do we do?"

Alistair shook his head. "I'm not sure. We're waiting for Lady Isolde to speak with us. She's with her son now." He paused. "Would you mind walking with me, Sanile?"

"Certainly, Alistair."

The brunette led them to the battlements outside, which were fairly deserted except for a few guards. The sun had sunk behind the hills and the castle's exterior was lit by torches. The two companions walked in silence for a bit. Sanile was certain that Alistair would speak when he was ready to. Therefore, she didn't press him.

"I never told you about my parents." Alistair said suddenly.

"I suspected that there was a reason behind that." The elf nodded.

"There was. You see, my mother was a serving girl at Redcliffe Castle."

"Go on."

Alistair took a deep breath before blurting out the rest. "My father was King Maric. He had an affair with my mother. I'm a bastard."

Sanile blinked in surprise. "I'm not sure what to make of that, your majesty."

"Oh please don't call me that." Alistair groaned. "I don't want you to treat me any differently. I'm a Grey Warden. That's all."

"Why did you keep this a secret?" Sanile asked quietly. "Did you not trust me as your friend?"

"No no, that's not it! Don't say it like that. Ever since I was a child, the Arl has kept it a secret. Those who have known have either disliked me or coddled me for it. Even Duncan kept me out of the fighting because of that reason. Arl Eamon raised me from a child. Lady Isolde didn't like that much. She thought that I was her husband's illegitimate child and made it so that the castle didn't feel like home to me. The Arl was kind to me despite the rumors even though I was sheltered."

"So the Arl was the closest thing to a father that you had?" Sanile asked. "Don't you think that you may come into the running for the throne?"

"Don't say that." Alistair said quietly. "I don't want any part of that, but you're right. I really don't remember either of my parents. My mother died giving birth to me. The only thing I had of hers was an amulet of Andraste. I don't have it any longer due to a bout of anger. I lost my temper with Arl Eamon for sending me to the Chantry to study when I was ten. I threw it against the wall and it shattered."

A little light seemed to flair in Sanile's brain as she dug around in the side pouch on her belt. She held up the small amulet and examined it before looking back to see Alistair's confusion. "You mean this? It looks like someone took great pains to put it back together."

"Maker's breath, it can't be." The brunette murmured. "Sanile, where did you find this?"

The elf let out a nervous laugh before answering. "I found it on the desk in the study. I'm not one to have sticky fingers under normal circumstances, but it looked important. Now I know that it was."

"This is my mother's amulet. It was broken when I threw it at the wall. The Arl must have fixed it. Oh Sanile, I don't know what to say. Thank you." Alistair said taking the amulet from the elf, running his fingers over it gently.

"Perhaps you should tell Elissa your little secret as well. That way, it won't seem that we're hiding things from her."

"You're right. I should tell her as well." Alistair agreed.

"Tell me what? I'm not going to like this, am I?" The said noblewoman asked.

"We speak of you and you appear out of nowhere." Sanile said, a smirk twisting her lips.

"I came to inform the two of you that Lady Isolde is ready to speak with us now, princess." Elissa told them. "Perhaps we can find a way to cure the Arl."

"I'll explain everything on the way, Elissa. Let's get moving." The templar said.

* * *

As the group made their way to Arlessa Isolde, they found themselves in the bedchamber of Arl Eamon. The man with graying hair and beard laid absolutely still as Isolde turned to face them. Bann Teagan was also present. Lady Isolde's surprise could not be hidden as she caught sight of Sanile standing at the head of the group. The elf looked less daunting without her weapons, but the studded leather armor didn't hide her race.

"An elf?" Isolde asked. "You're being led by an elf?"

"Isolde, do not be rude." Teagan scolded. "Ser Sanile is also a Grey Warden and has survived much to be here."

"Forgive my surprise, Warden. I am not accustomed to seeing elves in high positions." The Orlesian woman said.

"All is forgiven, my lady. Tell us, were your knights seeking the Urn of Sacred Ashes?" Sanile asked, not the least bit perturbed.

Isolde blinked in surprise. "Why yes, I sent them out looking for a cure for my husband's illness. How did you know of this?"

"We came across Ser Donall in Lothering." Alistair explained. "He told us that the Arl was ill and that the Knights of Redcliffe had been sent to seek the Urn."

"That is correct." Bann Teagan confirmed. "Ser Donall returned with Ser Henric's findings. They led him to a man named Brother Genitivi in Denerim. He is a scholar that's been studying the Urn of Sacred Ashes and is the closest lead we have to finding them. Perhaps he can tell us where they are located. The Ashes may be the only thing that will save my brother now. The demon has been slain but he still remains comatose."

"It'll take us a week to a week and a half to reach Denerim from here." Elissa informed them. "This won't be an easy trip."

"I should say not." Morrigan added. "The three of you are wanted criminals and going to Denerim will send you into the jaws of the beast. T'will be a task indeed."

"You must go to Denerim, I beg of you." Isolde pleaded. "My husband's life depends on it."

"Then we will set out in the morning." Sanile told her. "Arl Eamon's life depends on it and we cannot continue our journey without his help."

"Maker bless you. I'll set you up in the guest rooms of the castle so that you may get a good night's rest before you depart tomorrow."

* * *

Sanile was making her way to her room as Lady Isolde went about showing the others to theirs. She was about to open the door when Alistair appeared before her, causing her to pause. He had a strange expression on his face and she couldn't quite tell what was on his mind.

"Good evening, Alistair."

"Good evening, Sanile. I know that you're probably wanting to turn in for the night. I just wanted to see how you were feeling." He told her.

The elf smiled gently. "I'm feeling fine. Like I said early, I'm still a bit weak, but once I have my weapons back in my hand, I'll be back to normal."

"I just wanted to thank you again for finding my mother's amulet. It's very important to me. Thank you."

With that, the brunette placed a kiss on her cheek. Sanile felt her face warm and could see that Alistair's cheeks were pink as well when as he smiled at her. The elf touched her cheek and blinked several times to make sure she'd just witnessed what had happened. She was quite sure that she was awake. What she didn't understand was the sensations that Alistair's lips had stirred within her chest. Perhaps she could ask Elissa what that strange feeling was.

"You are most welcome, Alistair. I felt that it had some importance when I took it, and it turns out that the amulet was important to you."

"I thank your sticky fingers once again, Sanile." Alistair smiled, causing the stirring in the elf's chest once again. "I'll excuse myself so that you can get some rest. You'll need it."

"Thank you, Alistair. You'll need your rest as well. I don't think this journey to Denerim will be as easy as we think."

* * *

The trap was laid in all of its genius. It had taken several days to plan in all the detail, but it was guaranteed to work. Grey Wardens were humanitarians that helped those in need. That was why this plan would work. Zevran smirked as he looked over his handy work. It truly looked as if a caravan had been attacked by bandits.

The scout had returned stating that the Grey Wardens were coming. Their party was described as being bigger than what was initially reported. That was but a small miscalculation. The blonde assassin took his place behind a wagon as he spotted his peasant-garbed associate leading the band toward them. A quick glance around told Zevran that everyone was in their place. It was time.

* * *

The morning had been filled with a steady pace, light chatter, and the continuous bickering between Alistair and Morrigan. It was mostly sunny, so the balmy weather was roasting the party in their armor. High temperatures could be expected with the onset of summer.

It had been four days since their departure from Redcliffe. Other than the occasional Darkspawn attacks, the trip had been thus far uneventful. That was until a lone figure began racing down the road toward them. Sanile stopped for a moment and strained her eyes to see the figure more clearly. A woman wearing a commoner's clothing was sprinting toward them as fast as her legs could carry her. Sanile jogged a short distance to meet her.

"Are you alright?" the elf asked.

"You have to help." The woman panted, trying to regain her breath. "Our wagons are being attacked by bandits!"

Sanile looked to Elissa and Alistair and nodded. "We've got to help. It's along our path and these people need our help."

"Let's disband these bandits so that we can hurry to Denerim and find Brother Genitivi. Arl Eamon's life is depending on us." Alistair agreed.

"I'll inform the others of what's going on." Elissa said. "You and Alistair go on ahead, princess."

Sanile and Alistair quickly followed the woman down the road toward the caravan. The odd thing was that there was no sound of battle or struggle. There was a small chance that the bandits had fled. Sanile crept quietly along, leaving the woman behind them. Alistair followed carefully behind her. It was him that barely spotted the tree falling toward them. He cried out to the elf in front of him before shoving her roughly.

The blonde dove out of the way of the falling tree with the help of the shove from Alistair. She could hear his shouts from the other side of the tree. As Sanile rose to her feet, she caught movement from behind a wagon. A blonde elf with a tattoo on his face approached her with a confident smirk. The voice of Elissa calling out to Alistair reached her ears. The rest of the group had caught up, but it was too late. They'd stumbled into a trap.

"The Grey Wardens die here!"

Sanile's daggers crossed to block the other elf's blades. He used a below the belt move to kick her in the stomach. The move sent her to the ground. A quick roll saved her from a blade to the throat. Foliage rustled as the arrows began to fly. There were other assassins. Elissa and the others leapt into battle as Sanile was pulled to her feet by Alistair. A cry escaped her as an arrow embedded itself into her shoulder. Ripping it out, Sanile went after the blonde assassin once again.

Elissa used her shield bash to knock the assassin off his feet. With one swift movement, her sword rested on his throat. The rest of the assassins were quickly dispatched. Sanile made her way over, rolling her shoulder stiffly. The elf on the ground let his eyes wander to the different members of the group.

"I heard that Grey Wardens were formidable opponents, but I see that the stories hardly do you justice."

Elissa recognized his accent and sneered. "You're an Antivan assassin. You're trap was very clever, but not quite clever enough. Who sent you?"

"Ah so I am to be interrogated?" the assassin asked. "Let me save you some time. My name is Zevran. Zev to my friends. I am a member of the Antivan Crows, brought here for the sole purpose of slaying any surviving Grey Wardens. Which I have failed at, sadly."

"Who hired you to kill us?" Elissa growled, losing her patience.

Zevran seemed to think about this a moment before divulging the information. "A rather taciturn fellow in the capital. Loghain, I think his name was."

The three Grey Wardens exchanged glances. Sanile moved around Elissa and knelt down to eye level with Zevran. "Does that mean you're loyal to Loghain?"

"My sweet elf, beyond the usual, I have no idea what his issues may be with you. You threaten his power, yes? Beyond that, no, I'm not loyal to him. I was contracted to perform a service."

Alistair crossed his arms over his chest, not liking what he was hearing. "That's all I wanted to know."

The blonde assassin looked to his captors one by one before speaking once again. "Then unless you're quite struck on cutting my throat or something equally gruesome, perhaps you'd care to hear a proposal?"

"I'm listening. Make it quick." Elissa said, the scowl never leaving her face.

"The thing is I failed to kill you, so my life is forfeit. If you don't kill me, the Crows will. Thing is, I like living. And you obviously are the sort to give the Crows pause. So let me serve you instead."

"And what's to stop you from finishing the job later?" Sanile asked with good reason.

Zevran looked to the fair-haired elf before he began to explain. "I was never given much of a choice in joining with the Crows in the first place. As a child, they bought me off the slave market. I think that I've paid them back plus tenfold. The only way to save myself is to sign up with someone they can't touch. Even if I did kill you now, they might kill me just on principle for failing the first time. Honestly, I'd rather take my chances with you."

Sanile and Alistair exchanged uncertain glances while Elissa seemed to be considering his words. "Very well." The noblewoman stated. "I accept your offer."

"What!" Alistair exclaimed. "We're taking the assassin with us now? Does that really seem like a good idea?"

Elissa turned to her companions quickly before stating her reasoning. "If we take Zevran with us, not only are we strengthening our numbers, we're keeping an eye on him. There are more than enough of us that could dispatch him should things get out of hand. We need the help."

"I don't know about this." Sanile said uncertainly.

"Yes, we need him like I need a swift kick in the head. I don't see how this is going to help us at all." Alistair grumbled irately. "He's an assassin. If he wanted to kill us all in our sleep, he could."

"We're taking him with us." Elissa snapped as she pulled her sword away from Zevran's throat. "End of story."

Sanile offered her hand to the other elf and helped him off the ground. "Welcome to our group Zevran, I suppose."

The assassin dusted himself off and extended his hand to Elissa. "I hereby pledge my oath of loyalty until there is such a time you release me from it. I am your man."

Elissa took his hand and shook it. "I look forward to working with you, Zevran. Mind yourself as you are not the only one with superb fighting skills in this group."

"I shall keep that in mind. I look forward to fighting with you."

* * *

That night in camp was quite interesting. Zevran had ruffled Leliana's feathers on more than one occasion with his talks of her beauty and the beauty of the other female members of the party. He and Morrigan seemed to hit things off most swimmingly. Their conversation was one that caused several of the party members to hold their breath.

"So what is going to keep you from poisoning your target now that you have been allowed to accompany us, I wonder?" Morrigan asked casually.

"You are." Zevran answered smoothly. "You will be watching me ever so closely to make sure I attempt no such thing."

Morrigan snorted at this. "And why would I do such a thing? Sneaking into our good graces in order to make another attempt is what I would do, were I you."

Zevran merely smirked at the rebuttal. "And here I was becoming rather fond of the idea of you watching me closely."

"It would be a simple enough matter to poison the food in camp. Or cut our throats while we sleep." The witch retorted, growing annoyed with the assassin.

"Ah. Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you. The next time I am spared I will be sure to immediately turn upon my benefactors. Will that do?"

Alistair shook his head as the squabbling continued. At least Morrigan's attentions were not on him at the moment, which was a blessing from the Maker himself. Looking around the camp, he spotted Sanile some short distance off petting Frender and giving him his nightly meal. Deciding what he had to do, Alistair strode up to her so that he may speak to her in private. His request would be a detour, after all.

"Good evening, Sanile. Nice night with the witch-assassin squabbling and all."

The elf chuckled a bit. "They're going to have to get used to one another if we're to be traveling together. I still don't see why Elissa was so insistent that Zevran come along with us. He did try to kill us after all."

"Finally, someone that agrees with me." Alistair said. "I don't think assassins make good traveling companions. I suppose I don't know enough about such things."

Sanile studied the templar for a moment and could see that he seemed anxious. Some thought or other was flitting around in his brain that was bothering him. "Something on your mind, Alistair? You seem nervous."

"Ah, you noticed!" Alistair laughed, a bit on the nervous side. "There was something that I wanted to ask you. We are going to Denerim after all. I was wondering if we could look someone up."

"Oh, you mean a friend of yours?" Sanile asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Not a friend. Remember how I told you that my mother was a servant at Redcliffe Castle? Well, it turns out that she had a daughter; my half sister." The brunette explained.

"And you've found her?" the elf questioned further. "Alistair, that's wonderful!"

"Her name is Goldanna. She's remarried and living in Denerim with her children. I managed to find her once I'd joined the Grey Wardens through our resources. I'd like to pay her a visit if you don't mind."

Sanile nodded. "Of course, Alistair. We'll visit your sister. This means a lot to you, so I'm sure a short detour won't hurt us finding Brother Genitivi. I'll go with you, if you'd like."

"Would you?" Alistair asked, his eyes lighting. "I-I don't know what to say. I would love to have you come with me. I can't imagine what I'd say to a sister I've never met. You may be able to help me. I just thought that with the Blight and all, I could talk to what was left of my family. Maybe warn her of the danger."

"I understand, Alistair." Sanile smiled, taking his hand. "If your Fade dream wasn't enough to show me that, I don't know what was. You have us, but we're not the same. Am I right?"

Alistair was somewhat taken aback by this statement. "What? No! It's not like that. You and Elissa are very important to me. We're bound by things that no one else would understand. Ah, I suppose you're right though. It's not quite the same as having family, right? I mean, we're not the same as your clan or Elissa's brother."

"It's not the same." Sanile said, releasing his hand and taking a few steps toward the trees. "Ashalle, my surrogate mother, always taught me the importance of family. 'Together we are stronger than the one.' Always remember that, Alistair. No matter what happens, we're stronger together than we are apart. We will go and see your sister."

"Thank you, Sanile. You don't know how much this means to me." Alistair smiled. "Now how about we join the others before everyone starts talking?"

"Talking?" Sanile asked, lifting an eyebrow. "About what?"

"You know, that you and I…That we're…never mind. Let's just get back."

The elf shrugged her shoulders, remembering that Wynne still needed to bandage it before she turned in. Once they'd arrived back in camp, she made her way over to the wizened mage and told her of her injury. After a scolding about not mentioning it sooner, Wynne reached into her pack for some sort of salve and some bandages. Sanile was commanded to take her arm out of her armor so that the wound could be cleaned. The elf hissed at the feeling of soap and water on the open skin.

"It serves you right for waiting." Wynne scolded. "After what happened with your last wound, I'd have thought you'd take better care of yourself."

"I thought it would be okay until we made camp." Sanile whimpered as the mage scrubbed at her wound. "There was so much that went on anyway."

Wynne clicked her tongue at the elf as she continued to clean the wound, picking bits of splintered wood out of it. "You know, you children will be the death of me. I've treated Leliana's and Zevran's wounds. Elissa and Alistair have already been treated for their injuries. You're the last to see me."

Sanile sighed as Wynne began to scrub once again. "I'm sorry, Wynne. I'll do better to tell you of my wounds from now on. I won't wait until we reach camp."

The mage applied some salve to the entry and exit points before bandaging it snuggly. "There you are, my dear. Be careful of it for a few days and move it about so that it doesn't get stiff."

The fair-haired elf rose from her current position and settle by the fire between Alistair and Elissa. The party was still engaging in conversation. Zevran was now grilling Alistair for information on himself and was quite adamant about learning something of the templar. Alistair seemed to be handling the interrogation fairly well. Sanile was content to listen to the exchange before she brought up their current course once again.

"So are you a religious man, Alistair? I am curious. I believe I heard you say you were raised in an abbey?"

"I was raised in a castle." Alistair clarified. "I was schooled in the abbey. As far as being religious…I don't know. Not especially. What about you? Not in your line of work, I expect."

Zevran appeared thoughtful for a moment or two. "Why do you say that? I happen to be quite devoted, in my way, as most Antivans are."

"Truly? But you kill people. For money."

"And I ask forgiveness for my sins from the Maker every chance I get. What manner of monster do you think I am?"

"But…you ask forgiveness and then go right on with your sinning?" Alistair asked, somewhat appalled.

"The Maker has never objected. Why should you?" Zevran asked in return.

"I…have no idea." The brunette replied, befuddled.

"Well, there you go. Perhaps you ought to think about asking for a little forgiveness yourself, hm?" the elf assassin told him with a smirk.

Sanile asked for the map in Elissa's pack and unrolled it carefully. She studied it for a moment or two before finding their current position on the map. They were still about three or four days from Denerim. Elissa looked over her shoulder at the map and had Alistair doing so on her other side.

"So what exactly are you looking at, princess?" Elissa asked.

"We've got at least four more days until we reach Denerim. Is it truly crowded there? Are there many people?" the elf asked.

Alistair chuckled. "Yes, there are many people. It's one of the largest cities in Ferelden. I'll bet that you've never seen so many people in your life."

"No, I've probably never seen that many shemlen in one place." Sanile shook her head. "I'm a bit nervous, but we need to find Brother Genitivi. Only he knows where we can find the Urn of Sacred Ashes. It's the only thing that can save Arl Eamon. What are our chances of running into any of Loghain's men?"

"None, if we avoid the major places they would be. The Gnawed Noble Tavern is one of them. We may just have to avoid that place. I've sure we'll be fine." Alistair said as reassuringly as he could. "There so many people in the market that we may just blend in."

"We'll find Genitivi, don't you worry about that. If he's not there, we can find out where he went." Elissa stated confidently. "We will save the Arl and we will stop the Blight. That's what Grey Wardens do."

"You're making your tasks seem like a leisurely stroll." Morrigan snorted. "If it t'were that easy I do not see the point in my accompanying you."

"Elissa was merely stating that we will accomplish these goals." Leliana pointed out. "We will succeed."

"That we will." Sanile agreed. "Perhaps Brother Genitivi can tell us where the Ashes lie or at least point us in the right direction. Failure is not an option."

Alistair scrubbed her hair gently and smiled. "We'll succeed. I know we will. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm going to turn in for the night. The earlier we start tomorrow morning, the farther we'll get. Not to mention that it'll be cooler."

As the brunette retreated into his tent, the others called their goodnights after him. The thoughts of meeting his sister filled his head before another thought crossed his mind and he started rummaging through his pack. Out of it, he pulled a single red rose. He knew what he wanted to do with it. It was the minor detail of summoning the courage to actually do it. Perhaps the next time he was in camp. Or perhaps after they left Denerim. Alistair decided that he would give the rose to Sanile definitely. It was just a matter of when. As his eyelids grew heavy, the brunette decided that he would give the elf the rose before they found the Urn of Sacred Ashes. That was for sure.

End Chapter

* * *

**Well, there wasn't much that went on with this chapter. Zevran joined the party and there was a little Alistair/Sanile fluff in there. Not only am I setting up for the journey to Haven, but to Honneleith so that Shale can join the party as well. I absolutely love Shale. I'm setting up for the romance with Alistair and Sanile as well. I'm also going to throw a romance with Zevran and Elissa in there somewhere too. I'm not sure how to go about that since it's not the main romance. I managed to get twenty-two pages out of this chapter. For you, my readers, I've been attempting to write no less than twenty pages on a chapter because you are so patient with me. Thank you all for that. Now, the next chapter will probably be all dedicated to finding the Urn of Sacred Ashes. Shale may be on the return journey. I may or may not finish with Andraste's Ashes in one chapter. Anyhow, thank you for reading and until next time! **

**Aeden**


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